The Ivory Child Page 6

  CHAPTER V

  THE PLOT

  The sequel to the events of this evening may be told very briefly and ofit the reader can form his own judgment. I narrate it as it happened.

  That night I did not sleep at all well. It may have been because of theexcitement of the great shoot in which I found myself in competitionwith another man whom I disliked and who had defrauded me in the past,to say nothing of its physical strain in cold and heavy weather. Or itmay have been that my imagination was stirred by the arrival of thatstrange pair, Harut and Marut, apparently in search of myself, seventhousand miles away from any place where they can have known aught of aninsignificant individual with a purely local repute. Or it may have beenthat the pictures which they showed me when under the influence ofthe fumes of their "tobacco"--or of their hypnotism--took an unduepossession of my brain.

  Or lastly, the strange coincidence that the beautiful betrothed of myhost should have related to me a tale of her childhood of which shedeclared she had never spoken before, and that within an hour the twoprincipal actors in that tale should have appeared before my eyes andhers (for I may state that from the beginning I had no doubt thatthey were the same men), moved me and filled me with quite naturalforeboding. Or all these things together may have tended to aconcomitant effect. At any rate the issue was that I could not sleep.

  For hour after hour I lay thinking and in an irritated way listening forthe chimes of the Ragnall stable-clock which once had adorned the towerof the church and struck the quarters with a damnable reiteration. Iconcluded that Messrs. Harut and Marut were a couple of common Arabrogues such as I had seen performing at the African ports. Then aquarter struck and I concluded that the elephants' cemetery which Ibeheld in the smoke undoubtedly existed and that I meant to collar thosethousands of pounds' worth of ivory before I died. Then after anotherquarter I concluded that there was no elephants' cemetery--although bythe way my old friend, Dogeetah or Brother John, had mentioned sucha thing to me--but that probably there was a tribe, as he had alsomentioned, called the Kendah, who worshipped a baby, or rather itseffigy.

  Well now, as had already occurred to me, the old Egyptians, of whom Iwas always fond of reading when I got a chance, also worshipped a child,Horus the Saviour. And that child had a mother called Isis symbolized inthe crescent moon, the great Nature goddess, the mistress of mysteriesto whose cult ten thousand priests were sworn--do not Herodotus andothers, especially Apuleius, tell us all about her? And by a queercoincidence Miss Holmes had the mark of a crescent moon upon her breast.And when she was a child those two men, or others very like them, hadpointed out that mark to each other. And I had seen them staring hardat it that night. And in her vapour-invoked dream the "Heavenly Child,"_alias_ Horus, or the double of Horus, the _Ka_, I think the Egyptianscalled it, had awakened at the sight of her and kissed her and given herthe necklace of the goddess, and--all the rest. What did it mean?

  I went to sleep at last wondering what on earth it _could_ mean, tillpresently that confounded clock woke me up again and I must go throughthe whole business once more.

  By degrees, this was towards dawn, I became aware that all hope of resthad vanished from me utterly; that I was most painfully awake, and whatis more, oppressed by a curious fear to the effect that something wasgoing to happen to Miss Holmes. So vivid did this fear become that atlength I arose, lit a candle and dressed myself. As it happened I knewwhere Miss Holmes slept. Her room, which I had seen her enter, was onthe same corridor as mine though at the other end of it near the headof a stair that ran I knew not whither. In my portmanteau that had beensent over from Miss Manners's house, amongst other things was a smalldouble-barrelled pistol which from long habit I always carried with meloaded, except for the caps that were in a little leather case with somespare ammunition attached to the pistol belt. I took it out, capped itand thrust it into my pocket. Then I slipped from the room and stoodbehind a tall clock in the corridor, watching Miss Holmes's door andreflecting what a fool I should look if anyone chanced to find me.

  Half an hour or so later by the light of the setting moon whichstruggled through a window, I saw the door open and Miss Holmes emergein a kind of dressing-gown and still wearing the necklace which Harutand Marut had given her. Of this I was sure for the light gleamed uponthe red stones.

  Also it shone upon her face and showed me without doubt that she waswalking in her sleep.

  Gliding as silently as a ghost she crossed the corridor and vanished.I followed and saw that she had descended an ancient, twisting stairwaywhich I had noted in the castle wall. I went after her, my stockingedfeet making no noise, feeling my way carefully in the darkness of thestair, for I did not dare to strike a match. Beneath me I heard a noiseas of someone fumbling with bolts. Then a door creaked on its hinges andthere was some light. When I reached the doorway I caught sight of thefigure of Miss Holmes flitting across a hollow garden that was laid outin the bottom of the castle moat which had been drained. The garden, asI had observed when we walked through it on the previous day on our wayto the first covert that we shot, was bordered by a shrubbery throughwhich ran paths that led to the back drive of the castle.

  Across the garden glided the figure of Miss Holmes and after it went I,crouching and taking cover behind every bush as though I were stalkingbig game, which indeed I was. She entered the shrubbery, moving muchmore swiftly now, for as she went she seemed to gather speed, like astone which is rolled down a hill. It was as though whatever might beattracting her, for I felt sure that she was being drawn by something,acted more strongly upon her sleeping will as she drew nearer to it.For a while I lost sight of her in the shadow of the tall trees. Thensuddenly I saw her again, standing quite still in an opening caused bythe blowing down in the gale of one of the avenue of elms that borderedthe back drive. But now she was no longer alone, for advancing towardsher were two cloaked figures in whom I recognized Harut and Marut.

  There she stood with outstretched arms, and towards her, stealthily aslions stalking a buck, came Harut and Marut. Moreover, between the nakedboughs of the fallen elm I caught sight of what looked like the outlineof a closed carriage standing upon the drive. Also I heard a horsestamp upon the frosty ground. Round the edge of the little glade I ran,keeping in the dark shadow, as I went cocking the pistol that was in mypocket. Then suddenly I darted out and stood between Harut and Marut andMiss Holmes.

  Not a word passed between us. I think that all three of ussubconsciously were anxious not to awake the sleeping woman, knowingthat if we did so there would be a terrible scene. Only after motioningto me to stand aside, of course in vain, Harut and Marut drew from theirrobes curved and cruel-looking knives and bowed, for even now theirpoliteness did not forsake them. I bowed back and when I straightenedmyself those enterprising Easterns found that I was covering the heartof Harut with my pistol. Then with that perception which is part of themental outfit of the great, they saw that the game was up since I couldhave shot them both before a knife touched me.

  "You have won this time, O Watcher-by-Night," whispered Harut softly,"but another time you will lose. That beautiful lady belongs to us andthe People of the White Kendah, for she is marked with the holy mark ofthe young moon. The call of the Child of Heaven is heard in her heart,and will bring her home to the Child as it has brought her to usto-night. Now lead her hence still sleeping, O brave and clever one, sowell named Watcher-by-Night."

  Then they were gone and presently I heard the sound of horses beingdriven rapidly along the drive.

  For a moment I hesitated as to whether I would or would not run in andshoot those horses. Two considerations stayed me. The first was thatif I did so my pistol would be empty, or even if I shot one horseand retained a barrel loaded, with it I could only kill a single man,leaving myself defenceless against the knife of the other. The secondconsideration was that now as before I did not wish to wake up MissHolmes.

  I crept to her and not knowing what else to do, took hold of one of heroutstretched hands. She turned and came
with me at once as though sheknew me, remaining all the while fast asleep. Thus we went back to thehouse, through the still open door, up the stairway straight to her ownroom, on the threshold of which I loosed her hand. The room was dark andI could see nothing, but I listened until I heard a sound as of a personthrowing herself upon the bed and drawing up the blankets. Then knowingthat she was safe for a while, I shut the door, which opened outwardsas doors of ancient make sometimes do, and set against it a little tablethat stood in the passage.

  Next, after reflecting for a minute, the circumstances being awkward inmany ways, I went to my room and lit a candle. Obviously it was myduty to inform Lord Ragnall of what had happened and that as soon aspossible. But I had no idea in what part of that huge building hissleeping place might be, nor, for patent reasons, was it desirablethat I should disturb the house and so create talk. In this dilemma Iremembered that Lord Ragnall's confidential servant, Mr. Savage, when heconducted me to my room on the previous night, which he made a point ofdoing perhaps because he wished to talk over the matter of the snakesthat had found their way into his pockets, had shown me a bell in itwhich he said rang outside his door. He called it an "emergency bell." Iremarked idly that it was improbable that I should have any occasion forits use.

  "Who knows, sir?" said Mr. Savage prophetically. "There are folk who saythat this old castle is haunted, which after what I have seen to-nightI can well believe. If you should chance to meet a ghost looking, let ussay, like those black villains, Harum and Scarum, or whatever they callthemselves--well, sir, two's better company than one."

  I considered that bell but was loath to ring it for the reasons I havegiven. Then I went outside the room and looked. As I had hoped might bethe case, there ran the wire on the face of the wall connected along itslength by other wires with the various rooms it passed.

  I set to work and followed that wire. It was not an easy job; indeedonce or twice it reminded me of that story of the old Greek hero whofound his way through a labyrinth by means of a silken thread. I forgetwhether it were a bull or a lady he was looking for, but with care andperseverance he found one or the other, or it may have been both.

  Down staircases and various passages I went with my eye glued upon thewire, which occasionally got mixed up with other wires, till at lengthit led me through a swing door covered with red baize into what appearedto be a modern annexe to the castle. Here at last it terminated onthe spring of an alarming-looking and deep-throated bell that hungimmediately over a certain door.

  On this door I knocked, hoping that it might be that of Mr. Savage andpraying earnestly that it did not enclose the chaste resting-place ofthe cook or any other female. Too late, I mean after I had knocked,it occurred to me that if so my position would be painful to a degree.However in this particular Fortune stood my friend, which does notalways happen to the virtuous. For presently I heard a voice which Irecognized as that of Mr. Savage, asking, not without a certain quaverin its tone,

  "Who the devil is that?"

  "Me," I replied, being flustered.

  "'Me' won't do," said the voice. "'Me' might be Harum or it might beScarum, or it might be someone worse. Who's 'Me'?"

  "Allan Quatermain, you idiot," I whispered through the keyhole.

  "Anna who? Well, never mind. Go away, Hanna. I'll talk to you in themorning."

  Then I kicked the door, and at length, very cautiously, Mr. Savageopened it.

  "Good heavens, sir," he said, "what are you doing here, sir? Dressedtoo, at this hour, and with the handle of a pistol sticking out of yourpocket--or is it--the head of a snake?" and he jumped back, a strangeand stately figure in a long white nightshirt which apparently he woreover his underclothing.

  I entered the room and shut the door, whereon he politely handed me achair, remarking,

  "Is it ghosts, sir, or are you ill, or is it Harum and Scarum, of whomI have been thinking all night? Very cold too, sir, being afraid to pullup the bedclothes for fear lest there might be more reptiles in them."He pointed to his dress-coat hanging on the back of another chair withboth the pockets turned inside out, adding tragically, "To think, sir,that this new coat has been a nest of snakes, which I have hated likepoison from a child, and me almost a teetotaller!"

  "Yes," I said impatiently, "it's Harum and Scarum as you call them. Takeme to Lord Ragnall's bedroom at once."

  "Ah! sir, burgling, I suppose, or mayhap worse," he exclaimed as hethrew on some miscellaneous garments and seized a life-preserver whichhung upon a hook. "Now I'm ready, only I hope they have left theirsnakes behind. I never could bear the sight of a snake, and they seem toknow it--the brutes."

  In due course we reached Lord Ragnall's room, which Mr. Savage entered,and in answer to a stifled inquiry exclaimed,

  "Mr. Allan Quatermain to see you, my lord."

  "What is it, Quatermain?" he asked, sitting up in bed and yawning. "Haveyou had a nightmare?"

  "Yes," I answered, and Savage having left us and shut the door, I toldhim everything as it is written down.

  "Great heavens!" he exclaimed when I had finished. "If it had not beenfor you and your intuition and courage----"

  "Never mind me," I interrupted. "The question is--what should be donenow? Are you going to try to arrest these men, or will you--hold yourtongue and merely cause them to be watched?"

  "Really I don't know. Even if we can catch them the whole story wouldsound so strange in a law-court, and all sorts of things might besuggested."

  "Yes, Lord Ragnall, it would sound so strange that I beg you will comeat once to see the evidences of what I tell you, before rain or snowobliterates them, bringing another witness with you. Lady Longden,perhaps."

  "Lady Longden! Why one might as well write to _The Times_. I have it!There's Savage. He is faithful and can be silent."

  So Savage was called in and, while Lord Ragnall dressed himselfhurriedly, told the outline of his story under pain of instant dismissalif he breathed a word. Really to watch his face was as good as a play.So astonished was he that all he could ejaculate was--

  "The black-hearted villains! Well, they ain't friendly with snakes fornothing."

  Then having made sure that Miss Holmes was still in her room, we wentdown the twisting stair and through the side doorway, locking the doorafter us. By now the dawn was breaking and there was enough light toenable me in certain places where the snow that fell after the galeremained, to show Lord Ragnall and Savage the impress of the littlebedroom slippers which Miss Holmes wore, and of my stockinged feetfollowing after.

  In the plantation things were still easier, for every detail of themovements of the four of us could be traced. Moreover, on the back drivewas the spoor of the horses and the marks of the wheels of the carriagethat had been brought for the purposes of the abduction. Also my greatgood fortune, for this seemed to prove my theory, we found a parcelwrapped in native linen that appeared to have fallen out of the carriagewhen Harut and Marut made their hurried escape, as one of the wheels hadgone over it. It contained an Eastern woman's dress and veil, intended,I suppose, to be used in disguising Miss Holmes, who thence-forwardwould have appeared to be the wife or daughter of one of the abductors.

  Savage discovered this parcel, which he lifted only to drop it with ayell, for underneath it lay a torpid snake, doubtless one of those thathad been used in the performance.

  Of these discoveries and many other details, on our return to the house,Lord Ragnall made full notes in a pocket-book, that when completed weresigned by all three of us.

  There is not much more to tell, that is of this part of the story. Thematter was put into the hands of detectives who discovered that theEasterns had driven to London, where all traces of the carriage whichconveyed them was lost. They, however, embarked upon a steamer calledthe _Antelope_, together with two native women, who probably had beenprovided to look after Miss Holmes, and sailed that very afternoon forEgypt. Thither, of course, it was useless to follow them in those days,even if it had been advisable to do so.