And now I
found myself on a narrow path which followed a small watercourse. I
was too glad to have an easy track for my flight, to lay hold of the
full significance of its existence. The thought, however, soon
presented itself to me that I must be in an inhabited country, but one
which was yet unknown. What, then, was to be my fate at the hands of
its inhabitants? Should I be taken and offered up as a burnt-offering
to those hideous guardians of the pass? It might be so. I shuddered at
the thought, yet the horrors of solitude had now fairly possessed me;
and so dazed was I, and chilled, and woebegone, that I could lay hold
of no idea firmly amid the crowd of fancies that kept wandering in
upon my brain.
I hurried
onward—down, down, down. More streams came in; then there was a
bridge, a few pine logs thrown over the water; but they gave me
comfort, for savages do not make bridges. Then I had a treat such as I
can never convey on paper—a moment, perhaps, the most striking and
unexpected in my whole life—the one I think that, with some three or
four exceptions, I would most gladly have again, were I able to recall
it. I got below the level of the clouds, into a burst of brilliant
evening sunshine, I was facing the north-west, and the sun was full
upon me. Oh, how its light cheered me! But what I saw! It was such an
expanse as was revealed to Moses when he stood upon the summit of
Mount Sinai, and beheld that promised land which it was not to be his
to enter. The beautiful sunset sky was crimson and gold; blue, silver,
and purple; exquisite and tranquillising; fading away therein were
plains, on which I could see many a town and city, with buildings that
had lofty steeples and rounded domes. Nearer beneath me lay ridge
behind ridge, outline behind outline, sunlight behind shadow, and
shadow behind sunlight, gully and serrated ravine. I saw large pine
forests, and the glitter of a noble river winding its way upon the
plains; also many villages and hamlets, some of them quite near at
hand; and it was on these that I pondered most. I sank upon the ground
at the foot of a large tree and thought what I had best do; but I
could not collect myself. I was quite tired out; and presently,
feeling warmed by the sun, and quieted, I fell off into a profound
sleep.
I was awoke
by the sound of tinkling bells, and looking up, I saw four or five
goats feeding near me. As soon as I moved, the creatures turned their
heads towards me with an expression of infinite wonder. They did not
run away, but stood stock still, and looked at me from every side, as
I at them. Then came the sound of chattering and laughter, and there
approached two lovely girls, of about seventeen or eighteen years old,
dressed each in a sort of linen gaberdine, with a girdle round the
waist. They saw me. I sat quite still and looked at them, dazzled with
their extreme beauty. For a moment they looked at me and at each other
in great amazement; then they gave a little frightened cry and ran off
as hard as they could.
"So
that's that," said I to myself, as I watched them scampering. I
knew that I had better stay where I was and meet my fate, whatever it
was to be, and even if there were a better course, I had no strength
left to take it. I must come into contact with the inhabitants sooner
or later, and it might as well be sooner. Better not to seem afraid of
them, as I should do by running away and being caught with a hue and
cry to-morrow or next day. So I remained quite still and waited. In
about an hour I heard distant voices talking excitedly, and in a few
minutes I saw the two girls bringing up a party of six or seven men,
well armed with bows and arrows and pikes. There was nothing for it,
so I remained sitting quite still, even after they had seen me, until
they came close up. Then we all had a good look at one another.
Both the
girls and the men were very dark in colour, but not more so than the
South Italians or Spaniards. The men wore no trousers, but were
dressed nearly the same as the Arabs whom I have seen in Algeria. They
were of the most magnificent presence, being no less strong and
handsome than the women were beautiful; and not only this, but their
expression was courteous and benign. I think they would have killed me
at once if I had made the slightest show of violence; but they gave me
no impression of their being likely to hurt me so long as I was quiet.
I am not much given to liking anybody at first sight, but these people
impressed me much more favourably than I should have thought possible,
so that I could not fear them as I scanned their faces one after
another. They were all powerful men. I might have been a match for any
one of them singly, for I have been told that I have more to glory in
the flesh than in any other respect, being over six feet and
proportionately strong; but any two could have soon mastered me, even
were I not so bereft of energy by my recent adventures. My colour
seemed to surprise them most, for I have light hair, blue eyes, and a
fresh complexion. They could not understand how these things could be;
my clothes also seemed quite beyond them. Their eyes kept wandering
all over me, and the more they looked the less they seemed able to
make me out.
At last I
raised myself upon my feet, and leaning upon my stick, I spoke
whatever came into my head to the man who seemed foremost among them.
I spoke in English, though I was very sure that he would not
understand. I said that I had no idea what country I was in; that I
had stumbled upon it almost by accident, after a series of hairbreadth
escapes; and that I trusted they would not allow any evil to overtake
me now that I was completely at their mercy. All this I said quietly
and firmly, with hardly any change of expression. They could not
understand me, but they looked approvingly to one another, and seemed
pleased (so I thought) that I showed no fear nor acknowledgment of
inferiority—the fact being that I was exhausted beyond the sense of
fear. Then one of them pointed to the mountain, in the direction of
the statues, and made a grimace in imitation of one of them. I laughed
and shuddered expressively, whereon they all burst out laughing too,
and chattered hard to one another. I could make out nothing of what
they said, but I think they thought it rather a good joke that I had
come past the statues. Then one among them came forward and motioned
me to follow, which I did without hesitation, for I dared not thwart
them; moreover, I liked them well enough, and felt tolerably sure that
they had no intention of hurting me.
In about a
quarter of an hour we got to a small Hamlet built on the side of a
hill, with a narrow street and houses huddled up together. The roofs
were large and overhanging. Some few windows were glazed, but not
many. Altogether the village was exceedingly like one of those that
one comes upon in descending the less known passes over the Alps on to
Lombardy. I will pass over the excitement which my arrival caused.
Suffice it, that though there was abundance of curiosity, there was no
rudeness. I was taken to the principal house, which seemed to belong
to the people who had captured me. There I was hospitably entertained,
and a supper of milk and goat's flesh with a kind of oatcake was set
before me, of which I ate heartily. But all the time I was eating I
could not help turning my eyes upon the two beautiful girls whom I had
first seen, and who seemed to consider me as their lawful
prize—which indeed I was, for I would have gone through fire and
water for either of them.
Then came the
inevitable surprise at seeing me smoke, which I will spare the reader;
but I noticed that when they saw me strike a match, there was a hubbub
of excitement which, it struck me, was not altogether unmixed with
disapproval: why, I could not guess. Then the women retired, and I was
left alone with the men, who tried to talk to me in every conceivable
way; but we could come to no understanding, except that I was quite
alone, and had come from a long way over the mountains. In the course
of time they grew tired, and I very sleepy. I made signs as though I
would sleep on the floor in my blankets, but they gave me one of their
bunks with plenty of dried fern and grass, on to which I had no sooner
laid myself than I fell fast asleep; nor did I awake till well into
the following day, when I found myself in the hut with two men keeping
guard over me and an old woman cooking. When I woke the men seemed
pleased, and spoke to me as though bidding me good morning in a
pleasant tone.
I went out of
doors to wash in a creek which ran a few yards from the house. My
hosts were as engrossed with me as ever; they never took their eyes
off me, following every action that I did, no matter how trifling, and
each looking towards the other for his opinion at every touch and
turn. They took great interest in my ablutions, for they seemed to
have doubted whether I was in all respects human like themselves. They
even laid hold of my arms and overhauled them, and expressed approval
when they saw that they were strong and muscular. They now examined my
legs, and especially my feet. When they desisted they nodded
approvingly to each other; and when I had combed and brushed my hair,
and generally made myself as neat and well arranged as circumstances
would allow, I could see that their respect for me increased greatly,
and that they were by no means sure that they had treated me with
sufficient deference—a matter on which I am not competent to decide.
All I know is that they were very good to me, for which I thanked them
heartily, as it might well have been otherwise.
For my own
part, I liked them and admired them, for their quiet self-possession
and dignified ease impressed me pleasurably at once. Neither did their
manner make me feel as though I were personally distasteful to
them—only that I was a thing utterly new and unlooked for, which
they could not comprehend. Their type was more that of the most robust
Italians than any other; their manners also were eminently Italian, in
their entire unconsciousness of self. Having travelled a good deal in
Italy, I was struck with little gestures of the hand and shoulders,
which constantly reminded me of that country. My feeling was that my
wisest plan would be to go on as I had begun, and be simply myself for
better or worse, such as I was, and take my chance accordingly.
I thought of
these things while they were waiting for me to have done washing, and
on my way back. Then they gave me breakfast—hot bread and milk, and
fried flesh of something between mutton and venison. Their ways of
cooking and eating were European, though they had only a skewer for a
fork, and a sort of butcher's knife to cut with. The more I looked at
everything in the house, the more I was struck with its quasi-European
character; and had the walls only been pasted over with extracts from
the Illustrated London News and Punch, I could have almost fancied
myself in a shepherd's hut upon my master's sheep-run. And yet
everything was slightly different. It was much the same with the birds
and flowers on the other side, as compared with the English ones. On
my arrival I had been pleased at noticing that nearly all the plants
and birds were very like common English ones: thus, there was a robin,
and a lark, and a wren, and daisies, and dandelions; not quite the
same as the English, but still very like them—quite like enough to
be called by the same name; so now, here, the ways of these two men,
and the things they had in the house, were all very nearly the same as
in Europe. It was not at all like going to China or Japan, where
everything that one sees is strange. I was, indeed, at once struck
with the primitive character of their appliances, for they seemed to
be some five or six hundred years behind Europe in their inventions;
but this is the case in many an Italian village.
All the time
that I was eating my breakfast I kept speculating as to what family of
mankind they could belong to; and shortly there came an idea into my
head, which brought the blood into my cheeks with excitement as I
thought of it. Was it possible that they might be the lost ten tribes
of Israel, of whom I had heard both my grandfather and my father make
mention as existing in an unknown country, and awaiting a final return
to Palestine? Was it possible that I might have been designed by
Providence as the instrument of their conversion? Oh, what a thought
was this! I laid down my skewer and gave them a hasty survey. There
was nothing of a Jewish type about them: their noses were distinctly
Grecian, and their lips, though full, were not Jewish.
How could I
settle this question? I knew neither Greek nor Hebrew, and even if I
should get to understand the language here spoken, I should be unable
to detect the roots of either of these tongues. I had not been long
enough among them to ascertain their habits, but they did not give me
the impression of being a religious people. This too was natural: the
ten tribes had been always lamentably irreligious. But could I not
make them change? To restore the lost ten tribes of Israel to a
knowledge of the only truth: here would be indeed an immortal crown of
glory! My heart beat fast and furious as I entertained the thought.
What a position would it not ensure me in the next world; or perhaps
even in this! What folly it would be to throw such a chance away! I
should rank next to the Apostles, if not as high as they—certainly
above the minor prophets, and possibly above any Old Testament writer
except Moses and Isaiah. For such a future as this I would sacrifice
all that I have without a moment's hesitation, could I be reasonably
assured of it. I had always cordially approved of missionary efforts,
and had at times contributed my mite towards their support and
extension; but I had never hitherto felt drawn towards becoming a
missionary myself; and indeed had always admired, and envied, and
respected them, more than I had exactly liked them. But if these
people were the lost ten tribes of Israel, the case would be widely
different: the opening was too excellent to be lost, and I resolved
that should I see indications which appeared to confirm my impression
that I had indeed come upon the missing tribes, I would certainly
convert them.
I may here
mention that this discovery is the one to which I alluded in the
opening pages of my story. Time strengthened the impression made upon
me at first; and, though I remained in doubt for several months, I
feel now no longer uncertain.
When I had
done eating, my hosts approached, and pointed down the valley leading
to their own country, as though wanting to show that I must go with
them; at the same time they laid hold of my arms, and made as though
they would take me, but used no violence. I laughed, and motioned my
hand across my throat, pointing down the valley as though I was afraid
lest I should be killed when I got there. But they divined me at once,
and shook their heads with much decision, to show that I was in no
danger. Their manner quite reassured me; and in half an hour or so I
had packed up my swag, and was eager for the forward journey, feeling
wonderfully strengthened and refreshed by good food and sleep, while
my hope and curiosity were aroused to their very utmost by the
extraordinary position in which I found myself.
But already
my excitement had begun to cool and I reflected that these people
might not be the ten tribes after all; in which case I could not but
regret that my hopes of making money, which had led me into so much
trouble and danger, were almost annihilated by the fact that the
country was full to overflowing, with a people who had probably
already developed its more available resources. Moreover, how was I to
get back? For there was something about my hosts which told me that
they had got me, and meant to keep me, in spite of all their goodness.
