"Fearest thou to return?" I asked the chief of the Avejeli, when he had
concluded his interesting description of the overthrow of the Manuyema.
"If thou desirest me to bear thee company, I will guide thee until thine
eyes can discern the black rock, and the poisonous waters surrounding
it," he answered. "Then, if thou art fully determined to approach it, I
will remain until thou returnest."
"I cannot sufficiently thank thee for thy promise, O friend," I
answered. "For many moons have I wandered with my slave, over the
desert and through the endless and terrible Kivira, in search of some
one who could direct me unto the spot I seek. Now that thou hast given
me thy promise to conduct me thither, thou hast of a verity revived my
hopes with the refreshing shower of thy good favour."
"Are we not friends?" Yakul asked. "Already thou hast shown, in manner
plain, a boundless generosity towards me; therefore gladly will I
conduct thee to the sacred place thou seekest."
"Indeed thou art my friend. May the most perfect peace ever rest upon
thee, and may wisdom always distinguish thee above thy fellows," I
answered, adding, "Thou hast spoken of the rock as the seat of the Evil
Spirit of the Forest. Tell me, why do thy people of the Avejeli regard
it as sacred?"
"Because, beyond the rock is an inaccessible and mysterious tableland
which none have ever gained. Some believe it to be a country filled to
overflowing with bananas, yams, manioc, corn, honey and fruit, and
peopled by a strange race of monkeys, who live in huts like ourselves,
and are armed with bows and spears. Others declare that the plateau,
though covered with grass at the edge, where visible, is nevertheless a
glaring, barren, and uninhabited wilderness of endless extent."
"And what is the name of this unknown country?" I asked, curious to
know whether the pagan tribes entertained a belief similar to ours.
"It is called the Land of the Myriad Mysteries, because, to the dwellers
on the edge of the forest, the first flush of dawn appeareth always like
a mysterious blood-red streak from behind the rock. By our wise men it
is said that away there dwelleth the great Evil Spirit, whose invisible
myrmidons lurk in the silent depths of the forest, ever ready to bring
destruction and death upon those they may seize."
"Believest thou that the Evil Spirit hath power supreme?" I inquired.
"Yea, most assuredly. Once, many years ago, the Good Spirit, who
dwelleth in the sun, reigned supreme in the Kivira, until a rivalry
arose between the god of Life, and the god of Destruction, and they
struggled fiercely for the mastery. At first, the Good Spirit was the
most powerful, for into the bright light which he shed the Evil One
dared not venture. But at length the god of Darkness, with considerable
ingenuity, invoked the aid of the trees of the forest, and they,
obedient to him always, raised high their spreading heads, interlaced
their giant branches, and shut out the sun's light, thus allowing their
master, the Evil Spirit, to obtain complete control of the earth. It
was then that he took up his abode in the Land of the Myriad Mysteries,
placing between his seat and the dwelling-place of mortals a lake, the
water of which will, it is said, poison arrows dipped into it, and a
chain of mountains, unapproachable by reason of the death-dealing odours
exhaled from the swamp in the deep valley at their base."
The chief paused, hugged his knees, and gazed gravely into the dying
embers.
"Hath no man ever been able to penetrate into the mysterious abode?" I
asked.
"Many lives have, it is said, been lost in foolhardy attempts by the
curious," he answered, slowly. "None has, however, successfully braved
the wrath of the One of Evil, who dealeth death with aim unerring. Our
wise men have said that when, generations ago, the Evil Spirit conquered
his rival, entrance was gained to his kingdom by a remarkable cave in
the rock, and that in the cave there lived a hideous wild beast with
eight legs, whose tusks were each the length of a spear, whose claws
were each an arrow's length, whose eyes were like flaming brands, and
whose breath was as the smoke of a camp fire. The god's attendant
spirits were forbidden to pass beyond the zealously-guarded portal, but
one day a spirit, more adventurous than the rest, managed to escape into
the abode of men. His spiritual form enabled him to cross the poisoned
waters without a canoe, but as he was passing rapidly over the plain his
absence was detected by the god of Darkness, who, in his wrath, suddenly
turned him into a human being, and doomed him to wander the earth as an
outcast forever. He is wandering now, for aught we know. Truly, the
wrath of the King of the Land of the Myriad Mysteries is to be feared,
and death cometh swiftly to those who offer him not offerings of flesh,
and arouse his anger by expressing disbelief that he ruleth the earth."
"Then, according to thy belief, the Good Spirit is powerless?" I said.
"Yea, he hath, alas! been vanquished, and the god of Darkness holdeth
supreme sway over men," he answered. "Among mine own people I have
witnessed more than one case where a man expressed disbelief in the One
of Evil at dawn, and ere darkness hath fallen he has come to a violent
and unexpected end. The punishment of the sceptical is always death."
"And the dwelling-place of the Ruler of the World is that high land,
towards which, at sunrise, we shall be pushing forward to discover?" I
said.
"Yea. But have a care of thy life, O friend," he urged, in a tone of
consternation. "Thou mayest gaze upon it from afar, but to approach it
will be to encompass thine own end."
"When we reach within sight of it I shall decide how to act," I laughed,
amused at the pagan's apprehensions. "Strangely enough we have, in our
land, a legend very similar to thine, which telleth how one adventurous
man escaped from the mysterious region, after which the cave became
closed and all entrance and egress barred. The mystery fascinateth me,
and I am determined at all hazards to seek its solution."
"Dost thou think thou wilt succeed where valiant men for ages past have
failed?" he asked, in a tone of reproach.
"I may fail also," I said. "If thou wilt lead me thither, I will make
at least an effort."
The black chief did not reply, but sat silent and motionless, still
hugging his knees, and gazing with thoughtful, heavy expression into the
fire. Perhaps he was trying to devise some scheme whereby I might be
deterred from committing an act which he considered sheer folly. But I
was determined to keep the promise I had made to Azala, and seek some
explanation of the mystic marks upon our breasts. It was strange that
every tribe--followers of the Prophet and pagans alike--possessed some
curious legend regarding the unapproachable country; strange, also, that
so many of the quaint beliefs coincided in two facts; namely, the escape
of an adventurous spirit and the subsequent disappearance of the cavern.
These legends had apparently been handed down through so many ages that
they had now become bound up in the quaint and simple religious belief
of the pagans, proving the great antiquity of the original incident or
story upon which they were founded.
That some extraordinary mystery was therein hidden, I felt
instinctively, and longed for the days to pass in order to stand before
the gigantic rock and examine it closely. Tiamo, much impressed by what
Yakul had said, was likewise eager to view the spot; but the chief's
declaration that it was the dwelling-place of the Evil Spirit caused him
considerable perturbation, for, as a pagan himself, he believed
implicitly in the existence of Jinns, and in the One of Evil, which he
constantly declared lurked in the most gloomy depths of the Forest of
Perpetual Night. Once or twice on our lonely journey he had been
terrified at seeing in the darkness some mysterious object moving, but
it generally turned out to be a monkey, a leopard, or some other animal
startled by our sudden invasion of his domain.
At such times I laughed at his dread of darkness, but I confess that
more than once in that weird and terrible wilderness of trees I, myself,
had become infected by his abject fear, and stood in readiness to
witness some uncanny being advance towards us. Now, however, my little
apelike companion expressed a profound belief that the seat of the Evil
Spirit was actually beyond the Rock of the Great Sin, and that the
story, as related by Yakul, was the most sensible solution of the
mystery he had yet heard. I could not reprimand him, because I did not
wish to cast doubt upon the belief of the grateful savage who had proved
our sincere friend. Therefore I held my peace, declaring that I would
express no opinion before I saw the spot.
Yakul laughed when I thus made reply to my slave, and turning to him,
said,--
"Thy master acteth with discretion. Ofttimes, we trip in the hurry of
the tongue. They are wise who speak not before examining a matter
themselves."
"For many moons have we journeyed in search of the Rock of the Great
Sin," the dwarf answered, "and, even though I may fear him who dwelleth
therein, yet I, like my master, will not be deterred from approaching it
closely."
"Then, thy life will pay the penalty of thy rashness," the chief
observed, slowly nodding his head to emphasise his words.
"The result of any folly will be upon us alone," Tiamo said, in a
resentful tone. "Lead us thither, and leave us to our own devices."
"Such is my intention," answered the chief of the Avejeli. "If thou
hadst searched through the Forest of Perpetual Night, thou wouldst not
have obtained a guide, even though thou hadst offered him a sack of
cowries, or an ass's load of brass rods."
"Why?" I inquired.
"Because the secret of the existence of the seat of the Evil Spirit in
our midst is carefully guarded by the forest tribes, and to lead a
stranger thither is an offence punishable by death. Our prophets have
for centuries urged upon us the necessity for keeping the whereabouts of
the rock secret, declaring that some day a stranger will come from the
north, and seek to penetrate the mystery. If the stranger is
successful, then the vengeance of the Evil One will descend upon all
forest-dwellers in whose keeping the secret remaineth, and sweep them
out of existence by means of a terrible scourge of leprosy. Therefore,
the tribe of pigmies holding the country near the rock are deadly
hostile towards those who approach them, and none, save the Manuyema,
have ever been permitted to go near, and even they were all quickly
massacred by us, not one being spared to spread the news among his
compatriots."
"Then, in acting as our guide, thou art running a risk of death?" I
exclaimed, in surprise.
The chief nodded assent, adding: "It is the only means by which I can
repay thee for giving me my life."
"If our efforts are satisfactory, thou wilt assuredly receive ample
reward," I said.
"I want none," he replied. "But bring not upon our people the doom that
hath so long been prophesied," he added, with earnest fervency.
"I may be the stranger whose coming hath been foretold," I observed,
laughing.
El-Sadic, the dwarf, grinned from ear to ear, and rubbed his thighs,
while Yakul moved uneasily, and, taking up a stick, slowly stirred the
fire.
"I trust not," he said, in a harsh tone. "It would be better that I had
died where the murderers of Tippu-Tib bound me, than I should be
instrumental in leading the destroyer of our race unto victory."
"Destroyer of thy race!" I echoed. "I have no desire to destroy either
the pigmies of the forest, or the stalwart dwellers of the river banks.
My campaign is not one of conquest, but of curiosity. In searching for
the rock I am but redeeming a pledge to the woman I love. Therefore,
have no fear as to my intentions;" and laughing again, I added,
"Whatever may occur, thou wilt assuredly be remembered."
"But the prophecy, it is--"
"Heed it not, be it what it may," I urged, interrupting him. "Be thou
our guide, and give us thy protection through the country of the
pigmies. Assuredly wilt thou be fitly rewarded."
"I take no reward from one to whom I owe so much," he answered, proudly.
For a few moments he hesitated, then added: "I have promised to direct
thy footsteps unto the mysterious region of the Evil One, and will do
so, notwithstanding the prophecy. The pledge of Yakul is never broken.
Therefore, trust in me, and within twelve days thine eyes shall be
gladdened by the sight of the gloomy rock for which thou hast so long
searched."
I thanked him, assuring him that by such an action he would repay my
small service a thousandfold, and he accepted my expressions of pleasure
with that calm dignity which had held him exalted above all others of
his tribe.
"Then let us rest," he said. "To-morrow we must retrace our steps one
march, and then strike in the direction of the sunrise. Yakul shall
lead thee, but if thine adventurous expedition shouldst cost thee thy
life, let it not be upon my head, for already have I given thee full
warning of the dangers that must beset thee."
"Thou art exonerated from every blame, O my friend," I answered. "Of
our own free desire we go forward unto the Land of the Myriad Mysteries,
and we are ready that the consequences rest with us."
"Well hast thou spoken, O master," my slave exclaimed. "Wheresoever
thou seekest for truth, there also will I bear thee company."
"Then let us refresh ourselves by sleep, and let us proceed at sunrise,"
said the chief of the Avejeli; and soon afterwards, having made couches
of leaves, we stretched ourselves around the embers of our fire, the
flickering of which cast weird, grotesque shadows upon the boles of the
giants of the forest.
How long I slept I have no knowledge, but the crackling of wood awakened
me. Opening my eyes quickly, without moving, I saw the flames had sunk
and sleep had stolen over my two companions. Tiamo lay on his side, his
hand on his _jambiyah_ at his waist, while Yakul snored and rolled as if
he did not like the ground to lie upon. The single ember that blazed
threw its light upon some dark bushes within my line of sight.
Suddenly I thought I detected a small object moving in the deep shadow,
and strained my eyes into the gloom. Yes! I was not deceived! Another
dark form moved, then another and another, and as one crept out on
tiptoe from the thick undergrowth, I saw it was a tiny, half-naked
dwarf, wearing a curious square head-dress, advancing noiselessly, a
small poisoned arrow held in his bow ready to fly at the first sign of
our awakening.
The one creeping towards us did so with evil intent, for there was a
keen, murderous look in his tiny, beadlike eyes. During the first few
moments of this discovery I remained spellbound, allowing our
adversaries to creep forward until within two spears' length of us.
Then I sent up a loud shout of alarm that rang through the great forest
and came back again with strange, almost sepulchral echo.