she-第11部分

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the　hurricane　destroyed　the　dhow。　By　the　time　that　we　
had　finished　our　meal　our　clothes　were　quite　dry；　and　
we　hastened　to　get　into　them；　feeling　not　a　little　
refreshed。　Indeed；　with　the　exception　of　weariness　and　
a　few　bruises；　none　of　us　were　the　worse　for　the　
terrifying　adventure　which　had　been　fatal　to　all　our　
companions。　Leo；　it　is　true；　had　been　half　drowned；　
but　that　is　no　great　matter　to　a　vigorous　young　
athlete　of　five…and…twenty。

After　breakfast　we　started　to　look　about　us。　We　were　
on　a　strip　of　dry　land　about　two　hundred　yards　broad　
by　five　hundred　long；　bordered　on　one　side　by　the　
river；　and　on　the　other　three　by　endless　desolate　
swamps；　that　stretched　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach。　
This　strip　of　land　was　raised　about　twenty…five　feet　
above　the　plain　of　the　surrounding　swamps　and　the　
river　level；　indeed；　it　had　every　appearance　of　having　
been　made　by　the　hand　of　man。

〃This　place　has　been　a　wharf；〃　said　Leo；　dogmatically。

〃Nonsense；〃　I　answered。　〃Who　would　be　stupid　enough　to　
build　a　wharf　in　the　middle　of　these　dreadful　marshes　
in　a　country　inhabited　by　savages；　that　is　if　it　is　
inhabited　at　all？〃

〃Perhaps　it　was　not　always　marsh；　and　perhaps　the　
people　were　not　always　savage；〃　he　said；　dryly；　
looking　down　the　steep　bank　for　we　were　standing　by　
the　river。　〃Look　there；〃　he　went　on；　pointing　to　a　
spot　where　the　hurricane　of　the　previous　night　had　
torn　up　one　of　the　magnolia…trees；　which　had　grown　on　
the　extreme　edge　of　the　bank　just　where　it　sloped　down　
to　the　water；　by　the　roots；　and　lifted　a　large　cake　of　
earth　with　them。　〃Is　not　that　stonework？　If　not；　it　is　
very　like　it。〃

〃Nonsense；〃　I　said；　again；　and　we　clambered　down　to　
the　spot；　and　got　between　the　upturned　roots　and　the　
bank。

〃Well？〃　he　said。

But　I　did　not　answer　this　time。　I　only　whistled。　For　
there；　laid　bare　by　the　removal　of　the　earth；　was　an　
undoubted　facing　of　solid　stone　laid　in　large　blocks　
and　bound　together　with　brown　cement；　so　hard　that　I　
could　make　no　impression　on　it　with　the　file　in　my　
shooting…knife。　Nor　was　this　all；　seeing　something　
projecting　through　the　soil　at　the　bottom　of　the　bared　
patch　of　walling；　I　removed　the　loose　earth　with　my　
hands；　and　revealed　a　huge　stone　ring；　a　foot　or　more　
in　diameter；　and　about　three　inches　thick。　This　fairly　
staggered　me。

〃Looks　rather　like　a　wharf　where　good…sized　vessels　
have　been　moored；　does　it　not；　Uncle　Horace？〃　said　
Leo；　with　an　excited　grin。

I　tried　to　say　〃Nonsense〃　again；　but　the　word　stuck　in　
my　throatthe　ring　spoke　for　itself。　In　some　past　age　
vessels　_i_　had　_i_　been　moored　there；　and　this　stone　
wall　was　undoubtedly　the　remnant　of　a　solidly　
constructed　wharf。　Probably　the　city　to　which　it　had　
belonged　lay　buried　beneath　the　swamp　behind　it。

〃Begins　to　look　as　though　there　were　something　in　the　
story　after　all；　Uncle　Horace；〃　said　the　exultant　Leo；　
and；　reflecting　on　the　mysterious　negro's　head　and　the　
equally　mysterious　stonework；　I　made　no　direct　reply。

〃A　country　like　Africa；〃　I　said；　〃is　sure　to　be　full　
of　the　relics　of　long　dead　and　forgotten　
civilizations。　Nobody　knows　the　age　of　the　Egyptian　
civilization；　and　very　likely　it　had　offshoots。　Then　
there　were　the　Babylonians　and　the　Phoenicians；　and　
the　Persians；　and　all　manner　of　people；　all　more　or　
less　civilized；　to　say　nothing　of　the　Jews；　whom　
everybody　'wants'　nowadays。　It　is　possible　that　they；　
or　any　one　of　them；　may　have　had　colonies　or　trading…
stations　about　here。　Remember　those　buried　Persian　
cities　that　the　consul　showed　us　at　Kilwa。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　said　Leo；　〃but　that　is　not　what　you　said　
before。〃

〃Well；　what　is　to　be　done　now？〃　I　asked；　turning　the　
conversation。

As　no　answer　was　forthcoming　we　proceeded　to　the　edge　
of　the　swamp；　and　looked　over　it。　It　was　apparently　
boundless；　and　vast　flocks　of　every　sort　of　waterfowl　
came　flying　from　its　recesses；　till　it　was　sometimes　
difficult　to　see　the　sky。　Now　that　the　sun　was　getting　
high　it　drew　thin；　sickly　looking　clouds　of　poisonous　
vapor　from　the　surface　of　the　marsh　and　from　the　
scummy　pools　of　stagnant　water。

〃Two　things　are　clear　to　me；〃　I　said；　addressing　my　
three　companions；　who　stared　at　this　spectacle　in　
dismay：　〃first；　that　we　can't　go　across　there〃　（I　
pointed　to　the　swamp）；　〃and；　secondly；　that　if　we　stop　
here　we　shall　certainly　die　of　fever。〃

〃That's　as　clear　as　a　haystack；　sir；〃　said　Job。

〃Very　well；　then；　there　are　two　alternatives　before　
us。　One　is　to　'bout　ship；　and　try　and　run　for　some　
port　in　the　whale…boat；　which　would　be　a　sufficiently　
risky　proceeding；　and　the　other　to　sail　or　row　on　up　
the　river；　and　see　where　we　come　to。〃

〃I　don't　know　what　you　are　going　to　do；〃　said　Leo；　
setting　his　mouth；　〃but　I　am　going　up　that　river。〃

Job　turned　up　the　whites　of　his　eyes　and　groaned；　and　
the　Arab　murmured　〃Allah；〃　and　groaned　also。　As　for　
me；　I　remarked　sweetly　that　as　we　seemed　to　be　between　
the　devil　and　the　deep　sea；　it　did　not　much　matter　
where　we　went。　But　in　reality　I　was　as　anxious　to　
proceed　as　Leo。　The　colossal　negro's　head　and　the　
stone　wharf　had　excited　my　curiosity　to　an　extent　of　
which　I　was　secretly　ashamed；　and　I　was　prepared　to　
gratify　it　at　any　cost。　Accordingly；　having　carefully　
fitted　the　mast；　restowed　the　boat；　and　got　out　our　
rifles；　we　embarked。　Fortunately　the　wind　was　blowing　
on　shore　from　the　ocean；　so　we　were　able　to　hoist　the　
sail。　Indeed；　we　afterwards　found　out　that　as　a　
general　rule　the　wind　set　on　shore　from　daybreak　for　
some　hours；　and　off　shore　again　at　sunset；　and　the　
explanation　that　I　offer　of　this　is；　that　when　the　
earth　is　cooled　by　the　dew　and　the　night　the　hot　air　
rises；　and　the　draught　rushes　in　from　the　sea　till　the　
sun　has　once　more　heated　it　through。　At　least　that　
appeared　to　be　the　rule　here。

Taking　advantage　of　this　favoring　wind；　we　sailed　
merrily　up　the　river　for　three　or　four　hours。　Once　we　
came　across　a　school　of　hippopotami；　which　rose；　and　
bellowed　dreadfully　at　us　within　ten　or　a　dozen　
fathoms　of　the　boat；　much　to　Job's　alarm；　and；　I　will　
confess；　to　my　own。　These　were　the　first　hippopotami　
that　we　had　ever　seen；　and；　to　judge　by　their　
insatiable　curiosity；　I　should　judge　that　we　were　the　
first　white　men　that　they　had　ever　seen。　Upon　my　word　
l　once　or　twice　thought　that　they　were　coming　into　the　
boat　to　gratify　it。　Leo　wanted　to　fire　at　them；　but　I　
dissuaded　him；　fearing　the　consequences。　Also　we　saw　
hundreds　of　crocodiles　basking　on　the　muddy　banks；　and　
thousands　upon　thousands　of　waterfowl。　Some　of　these　
we　shot；　and　among　them　was　a　wild　goose；　which；　in　
addition　to　the　sharp　curved　spurs　on　its　wings；　had　a　
spur　about　three　quarters　of　an　inch　long　growing　from　
the　skull　just　between　the　eyes。　We　never　shot　another　
like　it；　so　I　do　not　know　if　it　was　a　〃sport〃　or　a　
distinct　species。　In　the　latter　case　this　incident　may　
interest　naturalists。　Job　named　it　the　Unicorn　Goose。

About　midday　the　sun　grew　intensely　hot；　and　the　
stench　drawn　up　by　it　from　the　marshes　which　the　river　
drains　was　something　too　awful；　and　caused　us　
instantly　to　swallow　precautionary　doses　of　quinine。　
Shortly　afterwards　the　breeze　died　away　altogether；　
and；　as　rowing　our　heavy　boat　against　stream　in　the　
heat　was　out　of　the　question；　we　were　thankful　enough　
to　get　under　the　shade　of　a　group　of　treesa　species　
of　willowthat　grew　by　the　edge　of　the　river；　and　lie　
there　and　gasp　till　at　length　the　approach　of　sunset　
put　a　period　to　our　miseries。　Seeing　what　appeared　to　
be　an　open　space　of　water　straight　ahead　of　us；　we　
determined　to　row　there　before　settling　what　to　do　for　
the　night。　Just　as　we　were　about　to　loosen　the　boat；　
however；　a　beautiful　water…buck；　with　great　horns　
curving　forward；　and　a　white　stripe　across　the　rump；　
came　down　to　the　river　to　drink；　without　perceiving　us　
hidden　away　within　fifty　yards　under　the　willows。　Leo　
was　the　first　to　catch　sight　of　it；　and　being　an　
ardent　sportsman；　thirsting　for　the　blood　of　big　game；　
about　which　he　had　been　dreaming　for　months；　he　
instantly　stiffened　all　over；　and　pointed　like　a　
setter　dog。　Seeing　what　was　the　matter；　I　handed　him　
his　express　rifle；　at　the　same　time　taking　my　own。

〃Now　then；〃　I　whispered；　〃mind　you　don't　miss。〃

〃Miss！〃　he　whispered　back；　contemptuously；　〃I　could　
not　miss　it　if　I　tried。〃

He　lifted　the　rifle；　and　the　roan…colored　buck；　having　
drunk　his　fill；　raised　his　head　and　looked　out　across　
the　river。　He　was　standing　right　against　the　sunset　
sky　on　a　little　eminence；　or　ridge　of　ground；　which　
ran　across　the　swamp；　evidently　a　favorite　path　for　
game；　and　there　was　something　very　beautiful　about　
him。　Indeed；　I　do　not　think　that　if　I　live　to　a　
hundred　I　shall　ever　forget　that　desolate　and　yet　most　
fascinating　scene；　it　is　stamped　upon　my　memory。　To　
the　right　and　left　were　wide　stretches　of　lonely；　
death…breeding　swamp；　unbroken　and　unrelieved　so　far　
as　the　eye　could　reach；　except　here　and　there　by　ponds　
of　black　and　peaty　water　that；　mirror…like；　flashed　up　
the　red　rays　of　the　setting　sun。　Behind　us　and　before　
stretched　the