CHAPTER XXVI
THE LAST OF THE SETTLEMENT MEN
On that day of the vanishing of the three Settlement men, Nam paid hisweekly visit to "do honour to the gods," and Leonard, who by this timecould make himself understood in the tongue of the People of the Mist,attacked him as to the whereabouts of their lost servants.
When he had finished, the priest answered with a cruel smile thathe knew nothing of the matter. "Doubtless," he said, "the gods hadinformation as to the fate of their own servants--it was not for him toseek those whom the gods had chosen to put away."
Then turning the subject, he went on to ask when it would please theMother to intercede with the Snake that he might cause the sun to shineand the corn to spring, for the people murmured, fearing a famine in theland.
Of course Juanna was able to give no satisfactory answer to the priest'squestions, and after this the quarters of the Settlement men werechanged, and for a few days the survivors slept in safety. On the thirdnight, however, two more of them were taken in the same mysteriousmanner, and one of those who remained swore that, hearing somethingstir, he woke and saw the floor open and a vision of great arms dragginghis sleeping companions through the hole in it, which closed againinstantly. Leonard hurried to the spot and made a thorough examinationof the stone blocks of the pavement, but could find no crack in them.And yet, if the man had dreamed, how was the mystery to be explained?
After this, with the exception of Otter, who, sure of the fate thatawaited them, took little heed of how or when it might fall, none ofthe party could even sleep because of their terror of the unseen foe whostruck in silence and in darkness, dragging the victim to some unknownawful end. Leonard and Francisco took it in turns to watch each other'sslumbers, laying themselves to rest outside the curtain of Juanna'sroom. As for the survivors of the Settlement men, their state canscarcely be described. They followed Leonard about, upbraiding himbitterly for leading them into this evil land and cursing the hour whenfirst they had seen his face. It would have been better, they said,that he should have left them to their fate in the slave camp than havebrought them here to die thus; the Yellow Devil was at least a man, butthese people were sorcerers and lost spirits in human shape.
Nor did the horror stop here, for at last the headman Peter, a man whomthey all liked and respected, went mad with fear and ran to and fro inthe palace yard while the guards and women watched him with curious eyesas he shrieked out curses upon Juanna and Leonard. This shocking scenecontinued for some hours, for his companions would not interfere withhim, vowing that he was possessed by a spirit, till at length he put aperiod to it by suddenly committing suicide. In vain did Leonard cautionthe survivors to keep their heads and watch at night. They flew to thebeer which was supplied to them in plenty, and drank till they wereinsensible. And still one by one they vanished mysteriously, till atlength all were gone.
Never might Leonard forget his feelings when one day at dawn, in thefifth week of their incarceration, he hurried as usual to the chamberwhere the last two of the unfortunate men were accustomed to sleep, andfound them not. There were their blankets, there was the place wherethey had been, and on it, laid carefully in the form of a St. Andrew'scross by some unknown hand, shone two huge sacrificial knives such asthe priests wore at their girdles.
Sick and faint with fear he staggered back to the throne-room.
"Oh! what is it now?" said Juanna, who, early as it was, had risenalready, looking at him with terrified eyes and trembling lips.
"Only this," he answered hoarsely; "the last two have been taken, andhere is what was left in the place of them," and he cast down the kniveson to the pavement.
Then at last Juanna gave way. "Oh! Leonard, Leonard," she said, weepingbitterly, "they were my father's servants whom I have known since I wasa child, and I have brought them to this cruel end. Cannot you think ofany way of getting out of this place? If not, I shall die of fear. I cansleep no more. I feel that I am watched at night, though I cannot tellby whom. Last night I thought that I heard some one moving near thecurtain where you and Francisco lie, though Soa declares that it isfancy."
"It is impossible," said Leonard; "Francisco was on guard. Ah! here hecomes."
As he spoke Francisco entered the room with consternation written on hisface.
"Outram," he gasped, "some one must have been in the throne chamberwhere we slept last night. All the rifles have gone, ours and those ofthe Settlement men also."
"Great heavens!" said Leonard, "but you were watching."
"I suppose that I must have dozed for a few moments," answered thepriest; "it is awful, awful; they are gone and we are weaponless."
"Oh! can we not escape?" moaned Juanna.
"There is no hope of it," answered Leonard gloomily. "We are friendlesshere except for Olfan, and he has little real power, for the priestshave tampered with the captains and the soldiers who fear them. Howcan we get out of this city? And if we got out what would become of us,unarmed and alone? All that we can do is to keep heart and hope for thebest. Certainly they are right who declare that no good comes of seekingafter treasure; though I believe that we shall live to win it yet," headded.
"What! Deliverer," said a satirical voice behind him, "do you stilldesire the red stones, who whose heart's blood shall soon redden acertain stone yonder? Truly the greed of the white man is great."
Leonard looked round. It was Soa who spoke, Soa who had been listeningto their talk, and she was glaring at him with an expression of intensehate in her sullen eyes. A thought came into his mind. "Was it notpossible that this woman had something to do with their misfortunes? Howcame it about that the others were taken while she was left?"
"Who gave you leave, Soa," he said, looking her fixedly in the face, "tohearken to our words and thrust yourself into our talk?"
"You have been glad enough of my counsels hitherto, White Man," sheanswered furiously. "Who told you the tale of this people? And who ledyou to their land? Was it I or another?"
"You, I regret to say," said Leonard coolly.
"Yes, White Man, I led you here that you might steal the treasure of mypeople like a thief. I did it because the Shepherdess my mistress forcedme to the deed, and in those days her will was my law. For her and youI came here to my death, and what has been my reward? I am put away fromher, she has no kind word for me now; you are about her always, you holdher counsel, but to me her mind is as a shut door that I can no longeropen. Ay! you have poisoned her against me, you and that black swinewhom they call a god.
"Moreover, because she has learned to love you, white thief, wandererwithout a kraal as you are, at your bidding she has also learned to hateme. Beware, White Man, I am of this people, and you know their temper,it is not gentle; when they hate they find a means to be revenged," andshe ceased, gasping with rage.
Indeed, at that moment Soa would have made no bad model for a statue ofone of the furies of Greek mythology.
Then Juanna attempted to interfere, but Leonard waved her back.
"So," he said, "as I thought, you are at the bottom of all thisbusiness. Perhaps you will not mind telling us what has become of yourfriends, the Settlement men, or, if you feel a delicacy on that point,how it is that you have escaped while they have vanished."
"I know nothing of the Settlement men," answered the Fury, "except thatthey have been taken and sacrificed as was their meed, and as yet I havelifted no hand and said no word against you, though a breath from mewould have swept you all to doom. Hitherto I have been spared for thesame reason that you and Bald-pate yonder have been spared--because weare the body-servants of the false gods, and are reserved to perish withthem when the lie is discovered; or perhaps to live awhile, set in cagesin the market-place, to be mocked by the passers-by and to serve as awarning to any whose monkey hearts should dare to plot sacrilege againstthe divinity of Aca and Jal.
"Now, Shepherdess, take your choice. As you know well, I have lovedyou from a babe and I love you yet, though you have scorned me for thisman's sa
ke. Take your choice, I say; cling to me and trust me, givingthe Deliverer to the priests, and I will save you. Cling to him, andI will bring shame and death upon you all, for my love shall turn tohate."
At this juncture Leonard quietly drew his revolver, though at the timenobody noticed it except Francisco. Indeed by now Juanna was almost asangry as Soa herself.
"How dare you speak to me thus?" she said, stamping her foot, "you whomfrom a child I have thought good and have trusted. What do you say? ThatI must give him who saved me from death over to death, in order that Imay buy back your love and protect myself. You evil woman, I tell youthat first I will die as I would have died yonder in the slave camp,"and she ceased, for her indignation was too great to allow her to saymore.
"So be it, Shepherdess," said Soa solemnly, "I hear you. It was to beexpected that you would prefer him whom you love to her who loves you.Yet, Shepherdess, was it not I after all who saved you yonder in theslave camp? Doubtless I dream, but it seems to me that when those menwho are dead deserted you, running this way and that in their fear--and,Shepherdess, it is for this that I am glad they are dead, and liftedno hand to save them--I followed you alone. It seems to me that, havingfollowed you far till I could walk no more for hunger and weariness, Iused my wit and bribed a certain white man, of the sort who would selltheir sisters and blaspheme their mothers for a reward, to attempt yourrescue.
"I bribed him with a gem of great price--had there been ten of them,that gem would have bought them all--and with the gem I told him thesecret of the treasure which is here. He took the bribe, and being braveand desperate, he drew you out of the clutches of the Yellow Devil,though in that matter also I had some part; and then you loved him.Ah! could I have foreseen it, Shepherdess, I had left you to die in theslave camp, for then you had died loving me who now hate me and cast meoff for the sake of this white thief."
Leonard could bear it no longer, and in the interests of their commonsafety he came to a desperate resolve. With an exclamation, he liftedthe pistol and covered Soa. Both Francisco and Juanna saw the act andsprang to him, the latter exclaiming, "Oh! what are you going to do?"
"I propose to kill this woman before she kills us, that is all," heanswered coldly.
"No! no!" cried Juanna, "she has been faithful to me for many years. Icannot see her shot."
"Let the butcher do his work," mocked Soa; "it shall avail him little.Doubtless he is angry because I have spoken the truth about him," andshe folded her arms upon her breast, awaiting the bullet.
"What is to be done?" said Leonard desperately. "If I do not shoot her,she will certainly betray us."
"Then let her betray," said Francisco; "it is written that you shall dono murder."
"If you fear to shoot a woman, send for your black dog, White Man,"mocked Soa. "He would have killed my father, and doubtless this taskalso will be to his liking."
"I can't do it. Get a rope and tie her up, Francisco," said Leonard."We must watch her day and night; it will be a pleasant addition toour occupations. After all it is only one more risk, which is no greatmatter among so many. I fancy the game is about played out, anyhow."
Francisco went for the rope and presently returned accompanied by Otter.A month of furious dissipation had left its mark even on the dwarf'siron frame. His bright black eyes were bloodshot and unsteady, his handshook, and he did not walk altogether straight.
"You have been drinking again, you sot," said Leonard. "Go back to yourdrink; we are in sorrow here and want no drunkards in our company. Nowthen, Francisco, give me that rope."
"Yes, Baas, I have been drinking," answered the dwarf humbly; "it iswell to drink before one dies, since we may not drink afterwards and Ithink that the hour of death is at hand. Oh! Shepherdess of theheavens, they said down yonder at the Settlement that you were a greatrain-maker: now if you can make the rain to fall, can you not make thesun to shine? Wind and water are all very well, but we have too much ofthem here."
"Hearken," said Leonard, "while you revelled, the last of Mavoom's menvanished, and these are left in their place," and he pointed to theknives.
"Is it so, Baas?" answered Otter with a hiccough. "Well, they were apoor lot, and we shall not miss them. And yet I wish I were a man againand had my hands on the throat of that wizard Nam. _Wow!_ but I wouldsqueeze it."
"It is your throat that will be squeezed soon, Otter," said Leonard."Look here, god or no god, get you sober or I will beat you."
"I am sober, Baas, I am indeed. Last night I was drunk, to-day nothingis left but a pain here," and he tapped his great head. "Why are youtying up that old cow Soa, Baas?"
"Because she threatens to use her horns, Otter. She says that she willbetray us all."
"Indeed, Baas! Well, it is in my mind that she has betrayed us already.Why do you not kill her and have done?"
"Because the Shepherdess here will have none of it," answered Leonard;"also I do not like the task."
"I will kill her if you wish, Baas," said Otter with another hiccough."She is wicked, let her die."
"I have told you that the Shepherdess will have none of it. Listen: wemust watch this woman; we will guard her to-day and you must take yourturn to-night--it will keep you from your drink."
"Yes, Baas, I will watch, though it would be better to kill her at once,for thus we should be spared trouble."
Then they bound Soa securely and set her in a corner of the thronechamber, and all that day Leonard and Francisco mounted guard over heralternately. She made no resistance and said nothing; indeed it seemedas if a certain lassitude had followed her outbreak of rage, for sheleaned her head back and slept, or made pretence to sleep.
The day passed uneventfully. Olfan visited them as usual, and toldthem that the excitement grew in the city. Indeed the unprecedentedprolongation of the cold weather was driving the people into a state ofsuperstitious fury that must soon express itself in violence of oneform or another, and the priests were doing everything in their power tofoment the trouble. No immediate danger was to be apprehended, however.
After sundown Leonard and Francisco went out into the courtyard toinspect the weather according to their custom. There was no sign of achange; the wind blew as bitterly as ever from the mountains, the skywas ashen, and the stars seemed far off and cold.
"Will it never break?" said Leonard with a sigh, and re-entered thepalace, followed by Francisco.
Then, having solemnly cautioned Otter to keep a strict guard over Soa,they wrapped themselves up in their blankets in order to get some rest,which both of them needed sadly. Juanna had retired already, layingherself to sleep immediately on the other side of the curtain, forshe feared to be alone; indeed they could see the tips of her fingersappearing beneath the bottom of the curtain.
Very soon they were asleep, for even terror must yield at last to thenecessities of rest, and a dense silence reigned over the palace, brokenonly by the tramp of the sentries without.
Once Leonard opened his eyes, hearing something move, and instantlystretched out his hand to assure himself of Juanna's safety. She wasthere, for in her sleep her fingers closed instinctively upon his own.Then he turned round and saw what had disturbed him. In the doorway ofthe chamber stood the bride of the Snake, Saga, a lighted torch in onehand and a gourd in the other, and very picturesque that handsomeyoung woman looked with her noble figure illumined by the glare of thetorchlight.
"What is the matter?" said Leonard.
"It is all right, Baas," answered Otter; "the old woman here is as safeas a stone statue yonder and quite as quiet. Saga brings me some water,that is all. I bade her do so because of the fire that rages inside meand the pain in my head. Fear not, Baas, I do not drink beer when I amon guard."
"Beer or water, I wish you would keep your wife at a distance," answeredLeonard; "come, tell her to be off."
Then he looked at his watch, the hands of which he could justdistinguish by the distant glare of the torch, and went to sleep again.This took place at ten minutes past eleven. When he awoke ag
ain dawn wasbreaking and Otter was calling to him in a loud, hoarse voice.
"Baas," he said, "come here, Baas."
Leonard jumped up and ran to him, to find the dwarf on his feet andstaring vacantly at the wall against which Soa had been sitting. She wasgone, but there on the floor lay the ropes with which she had been tied.
Leonard sprang at Otter and seized him by the shoulders.
"Wretched man!" he cried, "you have been sleeping, and now she hasescaped and we are lost."
"Yes, Baas, I have been sleeping. Kill me if you wish, for I deserve it.And yet, Baas, never was I more wide-awake in my life until I drank thatwater. I am not wont to sleep on guard, Baas."
"Otter," said Leonard, "that wife of yours has drugged you."
"It may be so, Baas. At least the woman has gone, and, say, whither hasshe gone?"
"To Nam, her father," answered Leonard.
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