the lost continent(消失的大陆)-第24部分
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colonel； I was to learn later； and to him I owe the very humane treatment
that was accorded me while I remained his prisoner。
He listened to the report of his junior； and then turned to question me；
but with no better results than the former had accomplished。 Then he
summoned an orderly； and gave some instructions。 The soldier saluted；
and left the room； returning in about five minutes with a hairy old white
man just such a savage； primeval…looking fellow as I had discovered in
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the woods the day that Snider had disappeared with the launch。
The colonel evidently expected to use the fellow as interpreter； but
when the savage addressed me it was in a language as foreign to me as
was that of the blacks。 At last the old officer gave it up； and； shaking his
head； gave instructions for my removal。
From his office I was led to a guardhouse； in which I found about fifty
half…naked whites； clad in the skins of wild beasts。 I tried to converse
with them； but not one of them could understand Pan…American； nor could
I make head or tail of their jargon。
For over a month I remained a prisoner there； working from morning
until night at odd jobs about the headquarters building of the commanding
officer。 The other prisoners worked harder than I did； and I owe my
better treatment solely to the kindliness and discrimination of the old
colonel。
What had become of Victory； of Delcarte； of Taylor I could not know；
nor did it seem likely that I should ever learn。 I was most depressed。 But
I whiled away my time in performing the duties given me to the best of
my ability and attempting to learn the language of my captors。
Who they were or where they came from was a mystery to me。 That
they were the outpost of some pow…erful black nation seemed likely； yet
where the seat of that nation lay I could not guess。
They looked upon the whites as their inferiors； and treated us
accordingly。 They had a literature of their own； and many of the men；
even the common soldiers； were omnivorous readers。 Every two weeks a
dust…covered trooper would trot his jaded mount into the post and deliver a
bulging sack of mail at headquarters。 The next day he would be away
again upon a fresh horse toward the south； carrying the soldiers' letters to
friends in the far off land of mystery from whence they all had come。
Troops； sometimes mounted and sometimes afoot； left the post daily
for what I assumed to be patrol duty。 I judged the little force of a
thousand men were detailed here to maintain the authority of a distant
government in a conquered country。 Later； I learned that my surmise was
correct； and this was but one of a great chain of similar posts that dotted
the new frontier of the black nation into whose hands I had fallen。
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Slowly I learned their tongue； so that I could understand what was said
before me； and make myself understood。 I had seen from the first that I
was being treated as a slave that all whites that fell into the hands of the
blacks were thus treated。
Almost daily new prisoners were brought in； and about three weeks
after I was brought in to the post a troop of cavalry came from the south to
relieve one of the troops stationed there。 There was great jubilation in
the encampment after the arrival of the newcomers； old friendships were
renewed and new ones made。 But the happiest men were those of the
troop that was to be relieved。
The next morning they started away； and as they were forced upon the
parade ground we prisoners were marched from our quarters and lined up
before them。 A couple of long chains were brought； with rings in the
links every few feet。 At first I could not guess the purpose of these
chains。 But I was soon to learn。
A couple of soldiers snapped the first ring around the neck of a
powerful white slave； and one by one the rest of us were herded to our
places； and the work of shackling us neck to neck commenced。
The colonel stood watching the procedure。 Presently his eyes fell
upon me； and he spoke to a young officer at his side。 The latter stepped
toward me and motioned me to follow him。 I did so； and was led back to
the colonel。
By this time I could understand a few words of their strange language；
and when the colonel asked me if I would prefer to remain at the post as
his body servant； I signified my willingness as emphatically as possible；
for I had seen enough of the brutality of the common soldiers toward their
white slaves to have no desire to start out upon a march of unknown length；
chained by the neck； and driven on by the great whips that a score of the
soldiers carried to accelerate the speed of their charges。
About three hundred prisoners who had been housed in six prisons at
the post marched out of the gates that morning； toward what fate and what
future I could not guess。 Neither had the poor devils themselves more
than the most vague conception of what lay in store for them； except that
they were going elsewhere to continue in the slavery that they had known
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since their capture by their black conquerorsa slavery that was to
continue until death released them。
My position was altered at the post。 From working about the
headquarters office； I was transferred to the colonel's living quarters。 I
had greater freedom； and no longer slept in one of the prisons； but had a
little room to myself off the kitchen of the colonel's log house。
My master was always kind to me； and under him I rapidly learned the
language of my captors； and much concerning them that had been a
mystery to me before。 His name was Abu Belik。 He was a colonel in
the cavalry of Abyssinia； a country of which I do not remember ever
hearing； but which Colonel Belik assured me is the oldest civilized
country in the world。
Colonel Belik was born in Adis Abeba； the capital of the empire； and
until recently had been in command of the emperor's palace guard。
Jealousy and the ambition and intrigue of another officer had lost him the
favor of his emperor； and he had been detailed to this frontier post as a
mark of his sovereign's displeasure。
Some fifty years before； the young emperor； Menelek XIV； was
ambitious。 He knew that a great world lay across the waters far to the
north of his capital。 Once he had crossed the desert and looked out upon
the blue sea that was the northern boundary of his dominions。
There lay another world to conquer。 Menelek busied himself with the
building of a great fleet； though his people were not a maritime race。 His
army crossed into Europe。 It met with little resistance； and for fifty years
his soldiers had been pushing his boundaries farther and farther toward the
north。
〃The yellow men from the east and north are contesting our rights here
now；〃 said the colonel； 〃but we shall winwe shall conquer the world；
carrying Christianity to all the benighted heathen of Europe； and Asia as
well。〃
〃You are a Christian people？〃 I asked。
He looked at me in surprise； nodding his head affirmatively。
〃I am a Christian；〃 I said。 〃My people are the most powerful on
earth。〃
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He smiled； and shook his head indulgently； as a father to a child who
sets up his childish judgment against that of his elders。
Then I set out to prove my point。 I told him of our cities； of our army；
of our great navy。 He came right back at me asking for figures； an
