第13章

"Well," I said, when at length I had read out and carefully examined these writings and paragraphs, at least those of them that were still easily legible, "that is the conclusion of the whole matter, Leo, and now you can form your own opinion on it.I have already formed mine.""And what is?" he asked, in his quick way.

"It is this.I believe that potsherd to be perfectly genuine, and that, wonderful as it may seem, it has come down in your family from since the fourth century before Christ.The entries absolutely prove it, and therefore, however improbable it may seem, it must be accepted.But there I stop.That your remote ancestress, the Egyptian princess, or some scribe under her direction, wrote that which we see on the sherd I have no doubt, nor have I the slightest doubt but that her sufferings and the loss of her husband had turned her head, and that she was not right in her mind when she did write it.""How do you account for what my father saw and heard there?" asked Leo.

"Coincidence.No doubt there are bluffs on the coast of Africa that look something like a man's head, and plenty of people who speak bastard Arabic.Also, Ibelieve that there are lots of swamps.Another thing is, Leo, and I am sorry to say it, but I do not believe that your poor father was quite right when he wrote that letter.He had met with a great trouble, and also he had allowed this story to prey on his imagination, and he was a very imaginative man.

Anyway, I believe that the whole thing is the most unmitigated rubbish.I know that there are curious things and forces in nature which we rarely meet with, and, when we do meet them, cannot understand.But until I see it with my own eyes, which I am not likely to, I never will believe that there is any means of avoiding death, even for a time, or that there is or was a white sorceress living in the heart of an African swamp! It is bosh, my boy, all bosh!What do you say, Job?""I say, sir, that it is a lie, and, if it is true, Ihope Mr.Leo won't meddle with no such things, for no good can't come of it.""Perhaps you are both right," said Leo, very quietly.

"I express no opinion.But I say this.I am going to set the matter at rest once and for all, and if you won't come with me I will go by myself."I looked at the young man, and saw that he meant what he said.When Leo means what he says he always puts on a curious look about the mouth.It has been a trick of his from a child.Now, as a matter of fact, I had no intention of allowing Leo to go anywhere by himself, for my own sake, if not for his.I was far too much attached to him for that.I am not a man of many ties or affections.Circumstances have been against me in this respect, and men and women shrink from me, or, at least, I fancy they do, which comes to the same thing, thinking, perhaps, that my somewhat forbidding exterior is a key to my character.Rather than endure this, I have, to a great extent, secluded myself from the world, and cut myself off from those opportunities which with most men result in the formation of relations more or less intimate.Therefore Leo was all the world to mebrother, child, and friendand until he wearied of me, where he went there I should go too.

But, of course, it would not do to let him see how great a hold he had over me; so I cast about for some means whereby I might let myself down easy.

"Yes, I shall go, uncle; and if I don't find the 'rolling Pillar of Life,' at any rate I shall get some first-class shooting."Here was my opportunity, and I took it.

"Shooting?" I said."Ah! yes; I never thought of that.

It must be a very wild stretch of country, and full of big game.I have always wanted to kill a buffalo before I die.Do you know, my boy, I don't believe in the quest, but I do believe in big game, and really, on the whole, if, after thinking it over, you make up your mind to go, I will take a holiday, and come with you.""Ah," said Leo, "I thought that you would not lose such a chance.But how about money? We shall want a good lot.""You need not trouble about that," I answered."There is all your income that has been accumulating for years, and besides that I have saved two thirds of what your father left me, as I consider, in trust for you.There is plenty of cash.""Very well, then, we may as well stow these things away and go up to town to see about our guns.By the way, Job, are you coming too? It's time you began to see the world.""Well, sir," answered Job, stolidly, "I don't hold much with foreign parts, but if both you gentlemen are going you will want somebody to look after you, and Iam not the man to stop behind after serving you for twenty years.""That's right, Job," said I."You won't find out anything wonderful, but you will get some good shooting.And now look here, both of you.I won't have a word said to a living soul about this nonsense," and I pointed to the potsherd."If it got out, and anything happened to me, my next of kin would dispute my will on the ground of insanity, and I should become the laughing-stock of Cambridge."That day three months we were on the ocean, bound for Zanzibar.