第28章 CHAPTER VI(3)

"Oh！ Major，" broke in Jeekie again， "that most 'utterably true. Honour bright I love you， Major， better than anyone on earth， except my late old woman， now happily dead， gone and forgotten in best oak coffin， ā410 without fittings but polished， and perhaps your holy uncle， Reverend Mr. Austin， also coffined and departed， who saved me from early extinction in a dark place. Major， I no like graves， I see too much of them， and can't tell what lie on other side. Though everyone say they know， Jeekie not quite sure. May be all light and crowns of glory， may be damp black hole and no way out. But this at least true， that I love you better， yes， better than Miss Barbara， for love of woman very poor， uncertain thing， quick come， quick go. Jeekie find that out--often. Yes， if need be， though death most nasty， if need be I say I die for you， which great unpleasant sacrifice，" and Jeekie in the genuine enthusiasm of his warm heart， throwing himself upon his knees after the African fashion， seized his master's hand and kissed it.

"Thanks， Jeekie，" said Alan， "very kind of you， I am sure. But we haven't come to that yet， though no one knows what may happen later on. Now sit upon that chair and take a little whisky--not too much-- for I am going to ask your advice."

"Major，" said Jeekie， "I obey，" and seizing the whisky bottle in a casual manner， he poured out half a tumbler full， for Jeekie was fond of whisky. Indeed before now this taste had brought him into conflict with the local magistrates.

"Put back three parts of that，" said Alan， and Jeekie did so. "Now，" he went on， "listen： this is the case， Miss Barbara and I are----" and he hesitated.

"Oh！ I know； like me and Mrs. Jeekie once，" said Jeekie， gulping down some of the neat whisky. "Go on， Major."

"And Sir Robert Aylward is----"

"Same thing， Major. Continue."

"And Mr. Haswell has----"

"Those facts all ascertained， Major，" said Jeekie， contemplating his glass with a mournful eye. "Now come to the point， Major."

"Well， the point is， Jeekie， that I am what you called just now cashless， and therefore----"

"Therefore，" interrupted Jeekie again， "stick fast in honourable intention towards Miss Barbara owing to obstinate opposition of Mr.

Haswell， legal uncle with control of property fomented by noble Sir Robert who desire same girl."

"Quite right， Jeekie， but if you would talk a little less and let me talk a little more， we might get on better."

"I henceforth silent， Major，" and lifting his empty tumbler Jeekie looked through it as if it were a telescope， a hint that Alan ignored.

"Jeekie， you infernal old fool， I want money."

"Yes， Major， I understand， Major. Forgive me for breaking conspiracy of silence， but if ā500 in Savings Bank any use， very much at your service， Major； also ā20 more extracted last night from terror of wealthy Jew who fear fetish."

"Jeekie， you old donkey， I don't want your ā500； I want a great deal more， ā50，000 or ā500，000. Tell me how to get it."

"City best place， Major. But you chuck City， too much honest man， great mistake to be honest in this terrestrial sphere. Often notice that in West Africa."

"Perhaps， Jeekie， but I have done with the City. As you would say， for me it is 'wipe out， finish.'"

"Yes， Major， too much pickpocket， too much dirt. Bottom always drop out of bucket shop at last. I understand， end in police court and severe magistrate， or perhaps even 'Gentlemen of Jury'； etcetera."

"Well， Jeekie， then what remains？ Now last night when you told us that amazing yarn of yours， you said something about a mountain full of gold， and houses full of gold， among your people. Jeekie， do you think----" and he paused， looking at him.

Jeekie rolled his black eyes round the room and in a fit of absentmindedness helped himself to some more whisky.

"Do I think， Major， that this useless lucre could be converted into coin of gracious King Edward？ Not at all， Major， by no one， Major， by no one whatsoever， except possibly by Major Alan Vernon， D.S.O.， and by one， Jeekie， Christian surname Smith."

"Proceed， Jeekie，" said Alan， removing the whisky bottle， "proceed and explain."

"Major， thus： The Asiki tribe care nothing about all that gold， it no good to them. Dead people who live long， long ago， no one know when， dig it up and store it there and make the great fetish which they call Bonsa to keep away enemy who want to steal. Also old custom when any one in country round find big nugget， or pretty stone， like ladies wear on bosom， to bring it as offering to Bonsa， so that there now great plenty of all this stuff. But no one use it for anything except to set on walls of house of Asiki， or to make basin， stool， table and pot to cook with. Once Arab come there and I see the priests give him weight in gold for iron hoe， though afterwards they murder him， not for the gold， but lest he go away and tell their secret."

"One might trade with them then， Jeekie？"

He shook his white head doubtfully.

"Yes， perhaps， if you can find anything they want buy and can carry it there. But I think there only one thing they want， and you got that， Major."

"I， Jeekie！ What have I got？"

The negro leant forward and tapped his master on the knee， saying in a portentous whisper：

"You got Little Bonsa， which much more holy than anything， even than Big Bonsa her husband， I mean greater， more powerful devil. That Little Bonsa sit in front room Asika's house， and when she want see things， she put it in big basin of gold， but I no tell you what it float in. Also once or twice every year they take out Little Bonsa；Asika wear it on head as mask， and whoever they meet they kill as offering to Little Bonsa， so that spirit come back to world to be priest of Bonsa. I tell you， Major， that Yellow God see many thousand of people die."

"Indeed，" said Alan. "A pleasing fetish truly. I should think that the Asiki must be glad it is gone."