Smith and the Pharaohs, and other TalesHaggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
General
Smith and the Pharaohs, and other Tales
Haggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
Adventure stories, English; Fantasy fiction, English; Short stories, English
“Get back,” said Thomas, “I will have none of your black
magic practised on my daughter. If she is to live God will save her.”
“What medicines have you, White-man?” asked Menzi.
“None, at least not here. Faith is my medicine.”
Dorcas looked at Tabitha. She was turning blue and her teeth were
chattering.
“Let the man do his best,” she said to Thomas. “There is no
other hope.”
“He shan’t touch her,” replied her husband obstinately.
Then Dorcas fired up, meek-natured though she was and accustomed though
she was to obey her husband’s will.
“I say that he shall,” she cried. “I know what he can do.
Don’t you remember the goat? I will not see my child die as a
sacrifice to your pride.”
“I have made up my mind,” answered Thomas. “If she dies it is
so decreed, and the spells and filth of a heathen cannot save her.”
Dorcas tried to thrust him aside with her feeble strength, but big and
burly, he stood in the path like a rock, blocking the way, with the
stone entrance walls of the little pleasure-house on either side of
him.
Suddenly the old Zulu, Menzi, became rather terrible; he drew himself
up; he seemed to swell in size; his thin face grew set and fierce.
“Out of the path, White-man!” he said, “or by Chaka’s
head I will kill you,” and from somewhere he produced a long,
thin-bladed knife of native iron fixed on a buck’s horn.
“Kill on, Wizard,” shouted Thomas. “Kill if you can.”
“Listen,” said Dorcas. “If our daughter dies because of you,
then I have done with you. We part for ever. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand,” he answered heavily. “So be it.”
Tabitha behind them made some convulsive noise. Thomas turned and looked
at her; she was slowly sinking down upon her side. His face changed.
All the rage and obstinacy went out of it.
“My child! Oh, my child!” he cried, “I cannot bear this. Love
is stronger than all. When I come up for judgment, may it be remembered
that love is stronger than all!”
Then he stepped out of the gateway, and sat down upon a stone hiding his
eyes with his hand.
Menzi threw down the knife and leapt in, followed by his servant who
bore his medicines, and the woman Ivana. He did his office; he uttered
his spells and invocations, he rubbed _Dawa_ into the wound, and
prising open the child’s clenched teeth, thrust more of it, a great
deal more, down her throat, while all three of them rubbed her cold
limbs.
About half an hour afterwards he came out of the place followed by
Ivana, who carried Tabitha in her strong arms; Tabitha was very weak,
but smiling, and with the colour returning to her cheeks. Of Thomas he
took no notice, but to Dorcas he said:
“Lady, I give you back your daughter. She is saved. Let her drink milk
and sleep.”
Then Thomas, whose judgment and charity were shaken for a while, spoke,
saying:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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