The Ivory Child

H >> H. Rider Haggard >> The Ivory Child




Shortly after this abortive attempt we debated our position with
earnestness and came to a certain conclusion, of which I will speak in
its place.

If I remember right it was on this same night of our debate, after
Harut's return from the mountain, that the first incident of interest
happened. There were two rooms in our house divided by a partition
which ran almost up to the roof. In the left-hand room slept Ragnall
and Savage, and in that to the right Hans and I. Just at the breaking of
dawn I was awakened by hearing some agitated conversation between Savage
and his master. A minute later they both entered my sleeping place, and
I saw in the faint light that Ragnall looked very disturbed and Savage
very frightened.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"We have seen my wife," answered Ragnall.

I stared at him and he went on:

"Savage woke me by saying that there was someone in the room. I sat up
and looked and, as I live, Quatermain, standing gazing at me in such a
position that the light of dawn from the window-place fell upon her, was
my wife."

"How was she dressed?" I asked at once.

"In a kind of white robe cut rather low, with her hair loose hanging to
her waist, but carefully combed and held outspread by what appeared to
be a bent piece of ivory about a foot and a half long, to which it was
fastened by a thread of gold."

"Is that all?"

"No. Upon her breast was that necklace of red stones with the little
image hanging from its centre which those rascals gave her and she
always wore."

"Anything more?"

"Yes. In her arms she carried what looked like a veiled child. It was so
still that I think it must have been dead."

"Well. What happened?"

"I was so overcome I could not speak, and she stood gazing at me with
wide-opened eyes, looking more beautiful than I can tell you. She never
stirred, and her lips never moved--that I will swear. And yet both of us
heard her say, very low but quite clearly: 'The mountain, George! Don't
desert me. Seek me on the mountain, my dear, my husband.'"

"Well, what next?"

"I sprang up and she was gone. That's all."

"Now tell me what _you_ saw and heard, Savage."

"What his lordship saw and heard, Mr. Quatermain, neither more nor less.
Except that I was awake, having had one of my bad dreams about snakes,
and saw her come through the door."

"Through the door! Was it open then?"

"No, sir, it was shut and bolted. She just came through it as if it
wasn't there. Then I called to his lordship after she had been looking
at him for half a minute or so, for I couldn't speak at first. There's
one more thing, or rather two. On her head was a little cap that looked
as though it had been made from the skin of a bird, with a gold snake
rising up in front, which snake was the first thing I caught sight of,
as of course it would be, sir. Also the dress she wore was so thin that
through it I could see her shape and the sandals on her feet, which were
fastened at the instep with studs of gold."

"I saw no feather cap or snake," said Ragnall.

"Then that's the oddest part of the whole business," I remarked. "Go
back to your room, both of you, and if you see anything more, call me. I
want to think things over."

They went, in a bewildered sort of fashion, and I called Hans and spoke
with him in a whisper, repeating to him the little that he had not
understood of our talk, for as I have said, although he never spoke it,
Hans knew a great deal of English.

"Now, Hans," I said to him, "what is the use of you? You are no better
than a fraud. You pretend to be the best watchdog in Africa, and yet
a woman comes into this house under your nose and in the grey of the
morning, and you do not see her. Where is your reputation, Hans?"

The old fellow grew almost speechless with indignation, then he
spluttered his answer:

"It was not a woman, Baas, but a spook. Who am I that I should be
expected to catch spooks as though they were thieves or rats? As it
happens I was wide awake half an hour before the dawn and lay with my
eyes fixed upon that door, which I bolted myself last night. It never
opened, Baas; moreover, since this talk began I have been to look at it.
During the night a spider has made its web from door-post to door-post,
and that web is unbroken. If you do not believe me, come and see for
yourself. Yet they say the woman came through the doorway and therefore
through the spider's web. Oh! Baas, what is the use of wasting thought
upon the ways of spooks which, like the wind, come and go as they will,
especially in this haunted land from which, as we have all agreed, we
should do well to get away."

I went and examined the door for myself, for by now my sciatica, or
whatever it may have been, was so much better that I could walk a
little. What Hans said was true. There was the spider's web with the
spider sitting in the middle. Also some of the threads of the web were
fixed from post to post, so that it was impossible that the door could
have been opened or, if opened, that anyone could have passed through
the doorway without breaking them. Therefore, unless the woman came
through one of the little window-places, which was almost incredible as
they were high above the ground, or dropped from the smoke-hole in the
roof, or had been shut into the place when the door was closed on the
previous night, I could not see how she had arrived there. And if any
one of these incredible suppositions was correct, then how did she get
out again with two men watching her?

There were only two solutions to the problem--namely, that the whole
occurrence was hallucination, or that, in fact, Ragnall and Savage had
seen something unnatural and uncanny. If the latter were correct I only
wished that I had shared the experience, as I have always longed to
see a ghost. A real, indisputable ghost would be a great support to our
doubting minds, that is if we _knew_ its owner to be dead.

But--this was another thought--if by any chance Lady Ragnall were still
alive and a prisoner upon that mountain, what they had seen was no
ghost, but a shadow or _simulacrum_ of a living person projected
consciously or unconsciously by that person for some unknown purpose.
What could the purpose be? As it chanced the answer was not difficult,
and to it the words she was reported to have uttered gave a cue. Only a
few hours ago, just before we turned in indeed, as I have said, we had
been discussing matters. What I have not said is that in the end we
arrived at the conclusion that our quest here was wild and useless and
that we should do well to try to escape from the place before we became
involved in a war of extermination between two branches of an obscure
tribe, one of which was quite and the other semi-savage.

Indeed, although Ragnall still hung back a little, it had been arranged
that I should try to purchase camels in exchange for guns, unless I
could get them for nothing which might be less suspicious, and that we
should attempt such an escape under cover of an expedition to kill the
elephant Jana.

Supposing such a vision to be possible, then might it not have come, or
been sent to deter us from this plan? It would seem so.

Thus reflecting I went to sleep worn out with useless wonderment, and
did not wake again till breakfast time. That morning, when we were alone
together, Ragnall said to me:

"I have been thinking over what happened, or seemed to happen last
night. I am not at all a superstitious man, or one given to vain
imaginings, but I am sure that Savage and I really did see and hear the
spirit or the shadow of my wife. Her body it could not have been as you
will admit, though how she could utter, or seem to utter, audible speech
without one is more than I can tell. Also I am sure that she is captive
upon yonder mountain and came to call me to rescue her. Under these
circumstances I feel that it is my duty, as well as my desire, to give
up any idea of leaving the country and try to find out the truth."

"And how will you do that," I asked, "seeing that no one will tell us
anything?"

"By going to see for myself."

"It is impossible, Ragnall. I am too lame at present to walk half a
mile, much less to climb precipices."

"I know, and that is one of the reasons why I did not suggest that you
should accompany me. The other is that there is no object in all of
us risking our lives. I wished to face the thing alone, but that good
fellow Savage says that he will go where I go, leaving you and Hans here
to make further attempts if we do not return. Our plan is to slip out
of the town during the night, wearing white dresses like the Kendah, of
which I have bought some for tobacco, and make the best of our way up
the slope by starlight that is very bright now. When dawn comes we will
try to find the road through that precipice, or over it, and for the
rest trust to Providence."

Dismayed at this intelligence, I did all I could to dissuade him from
such a mad venture, but quite without avail, for never did I know a more
determined or more fearless man than Lord Ragnall. He had made up
his mind and there was an end of the matter. Afterwards I talked with
Savage, pointing out to him all the perils involved in the attempt, but
likewise without avail. He was more depressed than usual, apparently on
the ground that "having seen the ghost of her ladyship" he was sure he
had not long to live. Still, he declared that where his master went he
would go, as he preferred to die with him rather than alone.

So I was obliged to give in and with a melancholy heart to do what I
could to help in the simple preparations for this crazy undertaking,
realizing all the while that the only real help must come from above,
since in such a case man was powerless. I should add that after
consultation, Ragnall gave up the idea of adopting a Kendah disguise
which was certain to be discovered, also of starting at night when the
town was guarded.

That very afternoon they went, going out of the town quite openly on the
pretext of shooting partridges and small buck on the lower slopes of
the mountain, where both were numerous, as Harut had informed us we were
quite at liberty to do. The farewell was somewhat sad, especially
with Savage, who gave me a letter he had written for his old mother in
England, requesting me to post it if ever again I came to a civilized
land.

I did my best to put a better spirit in him but without avail. He only
wrung my hand warmly, said that it was a pleasure to have known such a
"real gentleman" as myself, and expressed a hope that I might get out of
this hell and live to a green old age amongst Christians. Then he wiped
away a tear with the cuff of his coat, touched his hat in the orthodox
fashion and departed. Their outfit, I should add, was very simple: some
food in bags, a flask of spirits, two double-barrelled guns that would
shoot either shot or ball, a bull's-eye lantern, matches and their
pistols.

Hans walked with them a little way and, leaving them outside the town,
returned.

"Why do you look so gloomy, Hans?" I asked.

"Because, Baas," he answered, twiddling his hat, "I had grown to be fond
of the white man, Bena, who was always very kind to me and did not treat
me like dirt as low-born whites are apt to do. Also he cooked well, and
now I shall have to do that work which I do not like."

"What do you mean, Hans? The man isn't dead, is he?"

"No, Baas, but soon he will be, for the shadow of death is in his eyes."

"Then how about Lord Ragnall?"

"I saw no shadow in his eyes; I think that he will live, Baas."

I tried to get some explanation of these dark sayings out of the
Hottentot, but he would add nothing to his words.

All the following night I lay awake filled with heavy fears which
deepened as the hours went on. Just before dawn we heard a knocking on
our door and Ragnall's voice whispering to us to open. Hans did so while
I lit a candle, of which we had a good supply. As it burned up Ragnall
entered, and from his face I saw at once that something terrible had
happened. He went to the jar where we kept our water and drank three
pannikin-fuls, one after the other. Then without waiting to be asked, he
said:

"Savage is dead," and paused a while as though some awful recollection
overcame him. "Listen," he went on presently. "We worked up the
hill-side without firing, although we saw plenty of partridges and one
buck, till just as twilight was closing in, we came to the cliff face.
Here we perceived a track that ran to the mouth of a narrow cave
or tunnel in the lava rock of the precipice, which looked quite
unclimbable. While we were wondering what to do, eight or ten
white-robed men appeared out of the shadows and seized us before we
could make any resistance. After talking together for a little they took
away our guns and pistols, with which some of them disappeared. Then
their leader, with many bows, indicated that we were at liberty to
proceed by pointing first to the mouth of the cave, and next to the top
of the precipice, saying something about '_ingane_,' which I believe
means a little child, does it not?"

I nodded, and he went on:

"After this they all departed down the hill, smiling in a fashion that
disturbed me. We stood for a while irresolute, until it became quite
dark. I asked Savage what he thought we had better do, expecting that he
would say 'Return to the town.' To my surprise, he answered:

"'Go on, of course, my lord. Don't let those brutes say that we white
men daren't walk a step without our guns. Indeed, in any case I mean to
go on, even if your lordship won't.'

"Whilst he spoke he took a bull's-eye lantern from his foodbag, which
had not been interfered with by the Kendah, and lit it. I stared at him
amazed, for the man seemed to be animated by some tremendous purpose.
Or rather it was as though a force from without had got hold of his will
and were pushing him on to an unknown end. Indeed his next words showed
that this was so, for he exclaimed:

"'There is something drawing me into that cave, my lord. It may be
death; I think it is death, but whatever it be, go I must. Perhaps you
would do well to stop outside till I have seen.'

"I stepped forward to catch hold of the man, who I thought had gone mad,
as perhaps was the case. Before I could lay my hands on him he had
run rapidly to the mouth of the cave. Of course I followed, but when I
reached its entrance the star of light thrown forward by the bull's-eye
lantern showed me that he was already about eight yards down the tunnel.
Then I heard a terrible hissing noise and Savage exclaiming: 'Oh! my
God!' twice over. As he spoke the lantern fell from his hand, but did
not go out, because, as you know, it is made to burn in any position.
I leapt forward and picked it from the ground, and while I was doing so
became aware that Savage was running still farther into the depths of
the cave. I lifted the lantern above my head and looked.

"This was what I saw: About ten paces from me was Savage with his arms
outstretched and dancing--yes, dancing--first to the right and then to
the left, with a kind of horrible grace and to the tune of a hideous
hissing music. I held the lantern higher and perceived that beyond him,
lifted eight or nine feet into the air, nearly to the roof of the tunnel
in fact, was the head of the hugest snake of which I have ever heard. It
was as broad as the bottom of a wheelbarrow--were it cut off I think
it would fill a large wheelbarrow--while the neck upon which it was
supported was quite as thick as my middle, and the undulating body
behind it, which stretched far away into the darkness, was the size of
an eighteen-gallon cask and glittered green and grey, lined and splashed
with silver and with gold.

"It hissed and swayed its great head to the right, holding Savage with
cold eyes that yet seemed to be on fire, whereon he danced to the right.
It hissed again and swayed its head to the left, whereon he danced to
the left. Then suddenly it reared its head right to the top of the cave
and so remained for a few seconds, whereon Savage stood still, bending
a little forward, as though he were bowing to the reptile. Next instant,
like a flash it struck, for I saw its white fangs bury themselves in
the back of Savage, who with a kind of sigh fell forward on to his face.
Then there was a convulsion of those shining folds, followed by a sound
as of bones being ground up in a steam-driven mortar.

"I staggered against the wall of the cave and shut my eyes for a moment,
for I felt faint. When I opened them again it was to see something flat,
misshapen, elongated like a reflection in a spoon, something that had
been Savage lying on the floor, and stretched out over it the huge
serpent studying me with its steely eyes. Then I ran; I am not ashamed
to say I ran out of that horrible hole and far into the night."

"Small blame to you," I said, adding: "Hans, give me some square-face
neat." For I felt as queer as though I also had been in that cave with
its guardian.

"There is very little more to tell," went on Ragnall after I had drunk
the hollands. "I lost my way on the mountain-side and wandered for many
hours, till at last I blundered up against one of the outermost houses
of the town, after which things were easy. Perhaps I should add that
wherever I went on my way down the mountain it seemed to me that I heard
people laughing at me in an unnatural kind of voice. That's all."

After this we sat silent for a long while, till at length Hans said in
his unmoved tone:

"The light has come, Baas. Shall I blow out the candle, which it is a
pity to waste? Also, does the Baas wish me to cook the breakfast, now
that the snake devil is making his off Bena, as I hope to make mine off
him before all is done. Snakes are very good to eat, Baas, if you know
how to dress them in the Hottentot way."



CHAPTER XVI

HANS STEALS THE KEYS

A few hours later some of the White Kendah arrived at the house and very
politely delivered to us Ragnall's and poor Savage's guns and pistols,
which they said they had found lying in the grass on the mountain-side,
and with them the bull's-eye lantern that Ragnall had thrown away in his
flight; all of which articles I accepted without comment. That evening
also Harut called and, after salutations, asked where Bena was as he did
not see him. Then my indignation broke out:

"Oh! white-bearded father of liars," I said, "you know well that he is
in the belly of the serpent which lives in the cave of the mountain."

"What, Lord!" exclaimed Harut addressing Ragnall in his peculiar
English, "have you been for walk up to hole in hill? Suppose Bena want
see big snake. He always very fond of snake, you know, and they very
fond of him. You 'member how they come out of his pocket in your house
in England? Well, he know all about snake now."

"You villain!" exclaimed Ragnall, "you murderer! I have a mind to kill
you where you are."

"Why you choke me, Lord, because snake choke your man? Poor snake, he
only want dinner. If you go where lion live, lion kill you. If you go
where snake live, snake kill you. I tell you not to. You take no notice.
Now I tell you all--go if you wish, no one stop you. Perhaps you kill
snake, who knows? Only you no take gun there, please. That not allowed.
When you tired of this town, go see snake. Only, 'member that not right
way to House of Child. There another way which you never find."

"Look here," said Ragnall, "what is the use of all this foolery? You
know very well why we are in your devilish country. It is because I
believe you have stolen my wife to make her the priestess of your evil
religion whatever it may be, and I want her back."

"All this great mistake," replied Harut blandly. "We no steal beautiful
lady you marry because we find she not right priestess. Also Macumazana
here not to look for lady but to kill elephant Jana and get pay in ivory
like good business man. You, Lord, come with him as friend though we no
ask you, that all. Then you try find temple of our god and snake which
watch door kill your servant. Why we not kill _you_, eh?"

"Because you are afraid to," answered Ragnall boldly. "Kill me if you
can and take the consequences. I am ready."

Harut studied him not without admiration.

"You very brave man," he said, "and we no wish kill you and p'raps after
all everything come right in end. Only Child know about that. Also you
help us fight Black Kendah by and by. So, Lord, you quite safe unless
you big fool and go call on snake in cave. He very hungry snake and soon
want more dinner. You hear, Light-in-Darkness, Lord-of-the-Fire," he
added suddenly turning on Hans who was squatted near by twiddling his
hat with a face that for absolute impassiveness resembled a deal board.
"You hear, he very hungry snake, and you make nice tea for him."

Hans rolled his little yellow eyes without even turning his head until
they rested on the stately countenance of Harut, and answered in Bantu:

"I hear, Liar-with-the-White-Beard, but what have I to do with this
matter? Jana is my enemy who would have killed Macumazana, my master,
not your dirty snake. What is the good of this snake of yours? If it
were any good, why does it not kill Jana whom you hate? And if it is no
good, why do you not take a stick and knock it on the head? If you are
afraid I will do so for you if you pay me. That for your snake," and
very energetically he spat upon the floor.

"All right," said Harut, still speaking in English, "you go kill snake.
Go when you like, no one say no. Then we give you new name. Then we call
you Lord-of-the-Snake."

As Hans, who now was engaged in lighting his corn-cob pipe, did not
deign to answer these remarks, Harut turned to me and said:

"Lord Macumazana, your leg still bad, eh? Well, I bring you some
ointment what make it quite well; it holy ointment come from the Child.
We want you get well quick."

Then suddenly he broke into Bantu. "My Lord, war draws near. The Black
Kendah are gathering all their strength to attack us and we must have
your aid. I go down to the River Tava to see to certain matters, as to
the reaping of the outlying crops and other things. Within a week I will
be back; then we must talk again, for by that time, if you will use the
ointment that I have given you, you will be as well as ever you were
in your life. Rub it on your leg, and mix a piece as large as a mealie
grain in water and swallow it at night. It is not poison, see," and
taking the cover off a little earthenware pot which he produced he
scooped from it with his finger some of the contents, which looked like
lard, put it on his tongue and swallowed it.

Then he rose and departed with his usual bows.

Here I may state that I used Harut's prescription with the most
excellent results. That night I took a dose in water, very nasty it was,
and rubbed my leg with the stuff, to find that next morning all pain
had left me and that, except for some local weakness, I was practically
quite well. I kept the rest of the salve for years, and it proved a
perfect specific in cases of sciatica and rheumatism. Now, alas! it is
all used and no recipe is available from which it can be made up again.

The next few days passed uneventfully. As soon as I could walk I began
to go about the town, which was nothing but a scattered village much
resembling those to be seen on the eastern coasts of Africa. Nearly
all the men seemed to be away, making preparations for the harvest, I
suppose, and as the women shut themselves up in their houses after the
Oriental fashion, though the few that I saw about were unveiled and
rather good-looking, I did not gather any intelligence worth noting.

To tell the truth I cannot remember being in a more uninteresting place
than this little town with its extremely uncommunicative population
which, it seemed to me, lived under a shadow of fear that prevented all
gaiety. Even the children, of whom there were not many, crept about in
a depressed fashion and talked in a low voice. I never saw any of them
playing games or heard them shouting and laughing, as young people do
in most parts of the world. For the rest we were very well looked after.
Plenty of food was provided for us and every thought taken for our
comfort. Thus a strong and quiet pony was brought for me to ride because
of my lameness. I had only to go out of the house and call and it
arrived from somewhere, all ready saddled and bridled, in charge of a
lad who appeared to be dumb. At any rate when I spoke to him he would
not answer.

Mounted on this pony I took one or two rides along the southern slopes
of the mountain on the old pretext of shooting for the pot. Hans
accompanied me on these occasions, but was, I noted, very silent and
thoughtful, as though he were hunting something up and down his tortuous
intelligence. Once we got quite near to the mouth of the cave or tunnel
where poor Savage had met his horrid end. As we stood studying it a
white-robed man whose head was shaved, which made me think he must be
a priest, came up and asked me mockingly why we did not go through the
tunnel and see what lay beyond, adding, almost in the words of Harut
himself, that none would attempt to interfere with us as the road was
open to any who could travel it. By way of answer I only smiled and
put him a few questions about a very beautiful breed of goats with long
silky hair, some of which he seemed to be engaged in herding. He replied
that these goats were sacred, being the food of "one who dwelt in the
Mountain who only ate when the moon changed."