Part 19 (1/2)
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 si stars till the nen broke in glory from the boso all this tiot hold of us and sealed our lips Or perhaps each of us was occupied with his own thoughts At any rate I know that forof the past, reflectingshow called life, but not paying much heed to the future What did the future matter to me, who did not knohether 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 iment 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 ht rather than dark in colour, who seens or in low-muttered words Evidently they looked upon Hart and Mart 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 -places two days' journey back, three of theainst my wish, were ordered to return to look for it, and did so, ht days later they rejoined uslost a camel, but with the knife, which they handed to me with a lo; and I confess that I felt ashae many further confidences with Hart and Mart 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 caht be to the next water, for water-holes or old wells existed in this desert, of such birds as , 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 hi we could not see
Thus we covered hundreds ofour progress at only thirty es 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 thereacross 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,no skeletons of can oflived except a few small mammals at the oases and the birds that passed over it in the air on their way to ions 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, hoan to change Grass appeared on its lower-lying stretches, then bushes, then occasional trees and a 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 fashi+on which showedof the sort done before
That night, while ere 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 eraze where they would as usual, but were kept within a liroups outside of them Further, the stores were piled near our tents, in the centre, with guards set over the our meal, the reason of these alterations
”It is because we are on the borders of the Kendah country,” answered old Hart ”Four days'us there, Macuainst your own people? Surely they elcome 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 outnu 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 h that of the Black Kendah, where it is always possible that we ers into the land”
”How is it then that the Black Kendah allow you to live at all, Hart, if they are so much the more numerous?”
”Because of fear, Macumazana They fear our wisdoh thea 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, Hart Then it looks tobetween you”
”A war is breeding, Macureat war in which either the White Kendah or the Black Kendah ether Maybe that is the real reason e 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, Hart, Mart 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 tio to bed, Quaterht and then wake you”
That night passed in safety Next day we rew continually better watered andupwards ever more steeply On this plain I saw herds of antelopes and what in the distance looked like cattle, but no huood water and plenty of food for the ca set Hart 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 aall day, and thence perceived one of the reat 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 bottoantic 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 see this hill was lasses e could see, bordered at last by a range of greatlike 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 Hart ”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 ly--”save the priests of the Child”
”What happens to him if he does?” I asked