XV
THE LAMENT OF TANIT-ZERGA
"_Arraou, arraou_."
I roused myself vaguely from the half sleep to which I had finallysuccumbed. I half opened my eyes. Immediately I flattened back.
"_Arraou_."
Two feet from my face was the muzzle of King Hiram, yellow with atracery of black. The leopard was helping me to wake up; otherwise hetook little interest, for he yawned; his dark red jaws, beautifulgleaming white fangs, opened and closed lazily.
At the same moment I heard a burst of laughter.
It was little Tanit-Zerga. She was crouching on a cushion near thedivan where I was stretched out, curiously watching my close interviewwith the leopard.
"King Hiram was bored," she felt obliged to explain to me. "I broughthim."
"How nice," I growled. "Only tell me, could he not have gone somewhereelse to be amused?"
"He is all alone now," said the girl. "_They_ have sent him away. Hemade too much noise when he played."
These words recalled me to the events of the previous evening.
"If you like, I will make him go away," said Tanit-Zerga.
"No, let him alone."
I looked at the leopard with sympathy. Our common misfortune broughtus together.
I even caressed his rounded forehead. King Hiram showed hiscontentment by stretching out at full length and uncurling his greatamber claws. The mat on the floor had much to suffer.
"Gale is here, too," said the little girl.
"Gale! Who may he be?"
At the same time, I saw on Tanit-Zerga's knees a strange animal,about the size of a big cat, with flat ears, and a long muzzle. Itspale gray fur was rough.
It was watching me with queer little pink eyes.
"It is my mongoose," explained Tanit-Zerga.
"Come now," I said sharply, "is that all?"
I must have looked so crabbed and ridiculous that Tanit-Zerga began tolaugh. I laughed, too.
"Gale is my friend," she said when she was serious again. "I saved herlife. It was when she was quite little. I will tell you about it someday. See how good-natured she is."
So saying, she dropped the mongoose on my knees.
"It is very nice of you, Tanit-Zerga," I said, "to come and pay me avisit." I passed my hand slowly over the animal's back. "What time isit now?"
"A little after nine. See, the sun is already high. Let me draw theshade."
The room was in darkness. Gale's eyes grew redder. King Hiram's becamegreen.
"It is very nice of you," I repeated, pursuing my idea. "I see thatyou are free to-day. You never came so early before."
A shade passed over the girl's forehead.
"Yes, I am free," she said, almost bitterly.
I looked at Tanit-Zerga more closely. For the first time I realizedthat she was beautiful. Her hair, which she wore falling over hershoulders, was not so much curly as it was gently waving. Her featureswere of remarkable fineness: the nose very straight, a small mouthwith delicate lips, a strong chin. She was not black, but coppercolored. Her slender graceful body had nothing in common with thedisgusting thick sausages which the carefully cared for bodies of theblacks become.
A large circle of copper made a heavy decoration around her foreheadand hair. She had four bracelets, still heavier, on her wrists andanklets, and, for clothing, a green silk tunic, slashed in points,braided with gold. Green, bronze, gold.
"You are a Sonrhai, Tanit-Zerga?" I asked gently.
She replied with almost ferocious pride:
"I am a Sonrhai."
"Strange little thing," I thought.
Evidently this was a subject on which Tanit-Zerga did not intend theconversation to turn. I recalled how, almost painfully, she hadpronounced that "they," when she had told me how they had driven awayKing Hiram.
"I am a Sonrhai," she repeated. "I was born at Gao, on the Niger, theancient Sonrhai capital. My fathers reigned over the great MandingueEmpire. You need not scorn me because I am here as a slave."
In a ray of sunlight, Gale, seated on his little haunches, washed hisshining mustaches with his forepaws; and King Hiram, stretched out onthe mat, groaned plaintively in his sleep.
"He is dreaming," said Tanit-Zerga, a finger on her lips.
There was a moment of silence. Then she said:
"You must be hungry. And I do not think that you will want to eat withthe others."
I did not answer.
"You must eat," she continued. "If you like, I will go get somethingto eat for you and me. I will bring King Hiram's and Gale's dinnerhere, too. When you are sad, you should not stay alone."
And the little green and gold fairy vanished, without waiting for myanswer.
That was how my friendship with Tanit-Zerga began. Each morning shecame to my room with the two beasts. She rarely spoke to me ofAntinea, and when she did, it was always indirectly. The question thatshe saw ceaselessly hovering on my lips seemed to be unbearable toher, and I felt her avoiding all the subjects towards which I, myself,dared not direct the conversation.
To make sure of avoiding them, she prattled, prattled, prattled, likea nervous little parokeet.
I was sick and this Sister of Charity in green and bronze silk tendedme with such care as never was before. The two wild beasts, the bigand the little, were there, each side of my couch, and, during mydelirium, I saw their mysterious, sad eyes fixed on me.
In her melodious voice, Tanit-Zerga told me wonderful stories, andamong them, the one she thought most wonderful, the story of her life.
It was not till much later, very suddenly, that I realized how farthis little barbarian had penetrated into my own life. Wherever thouart at this hour, dear little girl, from whatever peaceful shores thouwatchest my tragedy, cast a look at thy friend, pardon him for nothaving accorded thee, from the very first, the gratitude that thoudeservedest so richly.
"I remember from my childhood," she said, "the vision of a yellow androse-colored sun rising through the morning mists over the smoothwaves of a great river, 'the river where there is water,' the Niger,it was.... But you are not listening to me."
"I am listening to you, I swear it, little Tanit-Zerga."
"You are sure I am not wearying you? You want me to go on?"
"Go on, little Tanit-Zerga, go on."
"Well, with my little companions, of whom I was very fond, I played atthe edge of the river where there is water, under the jujube trees,brothers of the _zeg-zeg_, the spines of which pierced the head ofyour prophet and which we call 'the tree of Paradise' because ourprophet told us that under it would live those chosen of Paradise;[15]and which is sometimes so big, so big, that a horseman cannot traverseits shade in a century.
[Footnote 15: The Koran, Chapter 66, verse 17. (Note by M. Leroux.)]
"There we wove beautiful garlands with mimosa, the pink flowers of thecaper bush and white cockles. Then we threw them in the green water toward off evil spirits; and we laughed like mad things when a greatsnorting hippopotamus raised his swollen head and we bombarded him inglee until he had to plunge back again with a tremendous splash.
"That was in the mornings. Then there fell on Gao the deathlike lullof the red siesta. When that was finished, we came back to the edge ofthe river to see the enormous crocodiles with bronze goggle-eyes creepalong little by little, among the clouds of mosquitoes and day-flieson the banks, and work their way traitorously into the yellow ooze ofthe mud flats.
"Then we bombarded them, as we had done the hippopotamus in themorning; and to fete the sun setting behind the black branches of the_douldouls_, we made a circle, stamping our feet, then clapping ourhands, as we sang the Sonrhai hymn.
"Such were the ordinary occupations of free little girls. But you mustnot think that we were only frivolous; and I will tell you, if youlike, how I, who am talking to you, I saved a French chieftain whomust be vastly greater than yourself, to judge by the number of goldribbons he had on his white sleeves."
"Tell me, little Tanit-Zerga," I said,
my eyes elsewhere.
"You have no right to smile," she said a little aggrieved, "and to payno attention to me. But never mind! It is for myself that I tell thesethings, for the sake of recollection. Above Gao, the Niger makes abend. There is a little promontory in the river, thickly covered withlarge gum trees. It was an evening in August and the sun was sinking.Not a bird in the forest but had gone to rest, motionless until themorning. Suddenly we heard an unfamiliar noise in the west, boum-boum,boum-boum, boum-baraboum, boum-boum, growing louder--boum-boum,boum-baraboum--and, suddenly, there was a great flight of water birds,aigrettes, pelicans, wild ducks and teal, which scattered over the gumtrees, followed by a column of black smoke, which was scarcelyflurried by the breeze that was springing up.
"It was a gunboat, turning the point, sending out a wake that shookthe overhanging bushes on each side of the river. One could see thatthe red, white and blue flag on the stern had drooped till it wasdragging in the water, so heavy was the evening.
"She stopped at the little point of land. A small boat was let down,manned by two native soldiers who rowed, and three chiefs who soonleapt ashore.
"The oldest, a French _marabout_, with a great white burnous, who knewour language marvelously, asked to speak to Sheik Sonni-Azkia. When myfather advanced and told him that it was he, the _marabout_ told himthat the commandant of the Club at Timbuctoo was very angry, that amile from there the gunboat had run on an invisible pile of logs, thatshe had sprung a leak and that she could not so continue her voyagetowards Ansango.
"My father replied that the French who protected the poor nativesagainst the Tuareg were welcome: that it was not from evil design, butfor fish that they had built the barrage, and that he put all theresources of Gao, including the forge, at the disposition of theFrench chief, for repairing the gunboat.
"While they were talking, the French chief looked at me and I lookedat him. He was already middle-aged, tall, with shoulders a littlebent, and blue eyes as clear as the stream whose name I bear.
"'Come here, little one,' he said in his gentle voice.
"'I am the daughter of Sheik Sonni-Azkia, and I do only what I wish,'I replied, vexed at his informality.
"'You are right,' he answered smiling, 'for you are pretty. Will yougive me the flowers that you have around your neck?'
"It was a great necklace of purple hibiscus. I held it out to him. Hekissed me. The peace was made.
"Meantime, under the direction of my father, the native soldiers andstrong men of the tribe had hauled the gunboat into a pocket of theriver.
"'There is work there for all day to-morrow, Colonel,' said the chiefmechanic, after inspecting the leaks. 'We won't be able to get awaybefore the day after to-morrow. And, if we're to do that, these lazysoldiers mustn't loaf on the job.'
"'What an awful bore,' groaned my new friend.
"But his ill-humor did not last long, so ardently did my littlecompanions and I seek to distract him. He listened to our mostbeautiful songs; and, to thank us, made us taste the good things thathad been brought from the boat for his dinner. He slept in our greatcabin, which my father gave up to him; and for a long time, before Iwent to sleep, I looked through the cracks of the cabin where I laywith my mother, at the lights of the gunboat trembling in red rippleson the surface of the dark waves.
"That night, I had a frightful dream. I saw my friend, the Frenchofficer, sleeping in peace, while a great crow hung croaking above hishead: 'Caw,--caw--the shade of the gum trees of Gao--caw, caw--willavail nothing tomorrow night--caw, caw--to the white chief nor to hisescort.'
"Dawn had scarcely begun, when I went to find the native soldiers.They were stretched out on the bridge of the gunboat, taking advantageof the fact that the whites were still sleeping, to do nothing.
"I approached the oldest one and spoke to him with authority:
'Listen, I saw the black crow in a dream last night. He told me thatthe shade of the gum trees of Gao would be fatal to your chief in thecoming night!...'
"And, as they all remained motionless, stretched out, gazing at thesky, without even seeming to have heard, I added:
"'And to his escort!'
"It was the hour when the sun was highest, and the Colonel was eatingin the cabin with the other Frenchmen, when the chief mechanicentered.
"'I don't know what has come over the natives. They are working likeangels. If they keep on this way, Colonel, we shall be able to leavethis evening.'
"'Very good,' said the Colonel, 'but don't let them spoil the job bytoo much haste. We don't have to be at Ansango before the end of theweek. It will be better to start in the morning.'
"I trembled. Suppliantly I approached and told him the story of mydream. He listened with a smile of astonishment; then, at the last, hesaid gravely:
"'It is agreed, little Tanit-Zerga. We will leave this evening if youwish it.'
"And he kissed me.
"The darkness had already fallen when the gunboat, now repaired, leftthe harbor. My friend stood in the midst of the group of Frenchmen whowaved their caps as long as we could see them. Standing alone on therickety jetty, I waited, watching the water flow by, until the lastsound of the steam-driven vessel, boum-baraboum, had died away intothe night."[16]
[Footnote 16: Cf. the records and the _Bulletin de la Societe deGeographie de Paris_ (1897) for the cruises on the Niger, made by the_Commandant_ of the Timbuctoo region, Colonel Joffre, LieutenantsBaudry and Bluset, and by Father Hacquart of the White Fathers. (Noteby M. Leroux.)]
Tanit-Zerga paused.
"That was the last night of Gao. While I was sleeping and the moon wasstill high above the forest, a dog yelped, but only for an instant.Then came the cry of men, then of women, the kind of cry that you cannever forget if you have once heard it. When the sun rose, it foundme, quite naked, running and stumbling towards the north with mylittle companions, beside the swiftly moving camels of the Tuareg whoescorted us. Behind, followed the women of the tribe, my mother amongthem, two by two, the yoke upon their necks. There were not many men.Almost all lay with their throats cut under the ruins of the thatch ofGao beside my father, brave Sonni-Azkia. Once again Gao had been razedby a band of Awellimiden, who had come to massacre the French on theirgunboat.
"The Tuareg hurried us, hurried us, for they were afraid of beingpursued. We traveled thus for ten days; and, as the millet and hempdisappeared, the march became more frightful. Finally, near Isakeryen,in the country of Kidal, the Tuareg sold us to a caravan of TrarzanMoors who were going from Bamrouk to Rhat. At first, because they wentmore slowly, it seemed good fortune. But, before long, the desert wasan expanse of rough pebbles, and the women began to fall. As for themen, the last of them had died far back under the blows of the stickfor having refused to go farther.
"I still had the strength to keep going, and even as far in the leadas possible, so as not to hear the cries of my little playmates. Eachtime one of them fell by the way, unable to rise again, they saw oneof the drivers descend from his camel and drag her into the bushes alittle way to cut her throat. But one day, I heard a cry that made meturn around. It was my mother. She was kneeling, holding out her poorarms to me. In an instant I was beside her. But a great Moor, dressedin white, separated us. A red moroccan case hung around his neck froma black chaplet. He drew a cutlass from it. I can still see the bluesteel on the brown skin. Another horrible cry. An instant later,driven by a club, I was trotting ahead, swallowing my little tears,trying to regain my place in the caravan.
"Near the wells of Asiou, the Moors were attacked by a party of Tuaregof Kel-Tazeholet, serfs of the great tribe of Kel-Rhela, which rulesover Ahaggar. They, in their turn, were massacred to the last man.That is how I was brought here, and offered as homage to Antinea, whowas pleased with me and ever since has been kind to me. That is why itis no slave who soothes your fever to-day with stories that you do noteven listen to, but the last descendant of the great Sonrhai Emperors,of Sonni-Ali, the destroyer of men and of countries, of MohammedAzkia, who made the pilgrim
age to Mecca, taking with him fifteenhundred cavaliers and three hundred thousand _mithkal_ of gold in thedays when our power stretched without rival from Chad to Touat and tothe western sea, and when Gao raised her cupola, sister of the sky,above the other cities, higher above her rival cupolas than is thetamarisk above the humble plants of sorghum."