The Oracle of Baal. A narrative of some curious events in the life of Professor Horatio Carmichael, M.A. Edited [or rather, written] by J. P. Webster, etc

Preface

I I. SOME EXPLANATIONS 5 II. THE MASTER OF POSSILRIGGE II III. THE NARRATIVE OF DAME MARGERY GRAHAME. . . 1 9 IV. THE NARRATIVE OF MR. SAUNDERS MCCRAITH, WRITER. 2 8 V. I GIVE AN OPINION 46 VI. THE PARTY OF FIVE 58 VII. OUTWARD BOUND 66 VIII. ON THE TRAMP 7 1 IX. THE MYSTERY OF THE ROCK 82 X. A VISION OF THE PAST 89 XI. THE BATTLE OF THE PHANTOMS IO3 XII. THE SWORD OF FLORIA BALLARCA Il6 XUI. THE SILKEN WAY 1 25 XIV. MCPHERSON'S ADVENTURE 1 36 XV. OVER THE FIRE HILLS I4I XVI. THE STYGIAN LAKE 156 XVII. PARADISE AND THE FIVE KINGS 1 67 XVIH. THROUGH THE CAVE OF SLEEP 1 76 XIX. IN THE DARK-HEWN WAY CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGB XX. THE CHILDREN OF THE WOLF 197 XXI. THE ANCIENT CITY OF WAYANGARA 2IO XXII. THE HISTORY OF A QUEEN OF AFFRI 2 23 XXIII. SIMS' LITTLE GAME 239 XXIV. THE LIBRARY OF WAYANGARA 25O XXV.

BEFORF. THE COUNCIL 264 XXVI. THE QUEEN'S VENGEANCE 276 XXVII. THE BRINGING OF THE "DEATH" 29 1 XXVIII. THE SERGEANT OPENS THE BALL 308 XXIX. THE SIEGE OF THE KING'S HOUSE 318 XXX. THE ORACLE OF BAAL 336 XXXI. THE DESTRUCTION OF WAYANGARA 352 XXXII. THE RETURN TO THE COAST EDITOR'S

PREFACE.

. The learned but somewhat eccentric gentleman who wrote the following pages, has granted me permission to preface them by a few remarks, which, under the circumstances, may not be considered out of place. The story of the expedition to " .Affri ", a country entirely unknown to geographers, was written by Professor Carmichael at the urgent request of many of his friends and admirers, and it is greatly to be regretted that he took to heart seriously the in credulity of some of the members of certain learned societies, before whom he delivered a few lectures on his discoveries and adventures, and refused either to proceed with his lectures, or to make known to the world some curious information which promised to be of the very greatest interest both to scholars and scientific men. My own acquaintance with him never extended beyond business relations, but I have enjoyed many opportunities of conversing with him, and he certainly EDITOR'S

PREFACE.

. 2 impressed me as being an honest and straightforward man, a little egotistical perhaps, but incapable of wilfully deceiving anyone, and while inclined to be opinionated and dogmatic, impatient of contradiction and quick to take offence, he is, in the main, genial and kind-hearted, and, when in the humour, a most delightful and entertaining companion. Notwithstanding the many remarkable and even improbable incidents recorded in his narrative, I cannot but think the animus displayed by certain of his learned brethren to be singularly uncharitable, for they even decline to believe that he ever visited the country he calls Affri. From my knowledge of the man I cannot bring myself to believe him guilty of having deliberately fabricated, for his own ends, a tale which has no foundation in facts.

Without entering into particulars, I may mention that he was certainly absent from Edinburgh during the time he states he was in Africa, and although always considered a poor man, he has, since his return, invested very large sums of money in land and property. Whether "The Oracle of Baal" (as I, with his permission, have christened his book) be truth or fiction, it must be admitted that the narrator tells his story with an unaffected sincerity that carries conviction with it, and if it be true — as I am com pelled to believe — then Professor Carmichael has good reason to be indignant at the strictures on his veracity. EDITOR'S

PREFACE.

. 3 It must be left to each individual reader to decide for himself what reliance can be placed on this remarkable history. Time may perhaps avenge the Professor and put his detractors to shame, but I fear the whole truth of the affair will never be known

Chapter I. Some Explanations

First of all, permit me to introduce myself. I am Professor Horatio Carmichael, M.A., F.R.G.S., and until lately, member of several learned and philosophical societies. But I am best known to the more thoughtful portion of the public as the author of the " Carmichael " pamphlets, in which certain commonplace but important subjects have been treated in a practical, and — I am informed — original manner. My essays on "Gastronomy as one of the Fine Arts", "Woman's Proper Sphere ", and " The Criminality of War " have especially attracted attention, and may be re commended to such as have formed no decided opinions on these subjects. I may also mention — for the edification of the curious — that I am middle-aged and a confirmed widower. The history of my life up to the year 1884 concerns no one but myself, but my experiences during the early part of 1885 were of so remarkable a character, that I have consented to write an account of them.

I do this because I have been importuned to undertake the work, and not — as some have suggested — from a morbid desire to become a person of public notoriety. The experiences referred to occurred during a search for a treasure, consisting mainly of precious stones, and supposed to have been concealed, about a hundred years ago, in a remote and hitherto unknown African city. It was my fortune to accompany the expedition which went out to attempt the recovery of this wealth, and as the only literary man of the party, it has naturally fallen to my share to write a history of all that took place. The task will not be an easy one, for some very peculiar, not to say inexplicable, circumstances attended our journey, and to describe these accurately, and at the same time as graphically as they deserve, would, I fear, tax the powers of a better word-painter than I pretend to be.

The precise reasons which induced me to become a member of the expedition, and to go wandering about a most execrable country, are not clear even to myself. Perhaps it was a laudable and commendable desire to discover something new, or perhaps it was only a contemptible and ignoble hankering after ill-gotten wealth. It may have been either or both — I need not discuss the point, but at all events, it was an act of foolishness which the hardships I endured have amply atoned for. SOME EXPLANATIONS. 7 The suggestion that I should go came from my self, and to do my young frieijd Mr. Richard Grahame justice, he vigorously opposed it, pointing out with much truth that I was not fitted by nature to undergo great fatigue and privations, and deli cately hinting that the severe and systematic training my intellectual faculties had received, had, to some extent, impaired my constitution.

All this I willingly admitted, but nevertheless persisted in my request. I laid before him the advantage it would be, in the event of difficulties arising, to have a person of my knowledge at hand, to say nothing of the benefits civilization might reap from the information I would collect and publish. " Consider , " said I, " what honour would accrue to our beloved Edinburgh, if one of her sons announced to an expectant world that a new country had been discovered, and the rude, untaught inhabitants there of brought within the reach of civilization and religion. " With these and similar arguments I prevailed against his better judgment, and in an evil moment for me, but a lucky one (as it happened) for the expedition, I was elected a member. As will appear later on, the treasure in question had belonged to a certain freebooter, an ancestor and namesake of Mr. Richard Grahame, who, as his only surviving descendant, was sole heir to riches, which, I regret to say, were undoubtedly acquired in a most unlawful manner.

However, I shall deal with this part of the story at the proper time and place, and proceed in the meantime to say a few words on my own account. Before leaving Scotland, I had viewed the whole affair as likely to be a pleasant holiday excursion, spent in the midst of an ignorant but docile people thirsting for the knowledge and advantages of civilized life; and I looked forward with delight to the time when the members of our party would form themselves into a society, with the object of acquiring an insight into the flora and fauna of our temporary home, with myself as their instructor and guide. This was my dream — till we arrived in Africa. Once there, I speedily discovered that my pursuits were doomed to be of a totally different character. Instead of spending the days pleasantly, I spent them in struggling against starvation, fatigue, and death in a hundred shapes, all equally objectionable ; and once, strange though it may seem to those who know me, I gave up my mind to the uncongenial task of destroying a number of my fellow men.

Upon that occasion, being in a manner compelled by circumstances, I committed a deed which, although perfectly justifiable, has occasioned me lasting regret. In making these remarks, I am not so much influenced by a desire to excuse my bellicose feats, which in truth were forced upon me, as to warn other scientific and ambitious gentlemen who may be tempted to take journeys through strange coun tries, not to yield to the temptation, or they may SOME EXPLANATIONS. 9 find (as I did) that their time and attention will be spent, not in collecting specimens, but rather in seeking how to escape from sudden and violent extinction at the hands of man or from the effects of the climate. All this may be very discouraging, but I regret to say — so far as Western Africa is concerned — it is only too true, and a careful study of this narrative will bring that fact home to the most sceptical.

I have, however, no intention of taking advantage of my present position to ventilate in these pages my own private views and grievances. All I wish to do is to relate faithfully the events which took place during the progress of the expedition, and this I shall do without fear or favour. What I saw with my own eyes, I will describe to the best of my ability, and what I did not see, but only heard from the lips of others, will be given, when my memory will permit, word for word, nothing being added and nothing taken away. I repeat, and wish it to be understood, that I shall only vouch for what I saw myself. The statements I had from others will be given in their entirety, but every person must judge for himself whether they are worthy of belief or not. Judging from the invidious reception accorded me by some of the learned societies before whom I lectured on my return to Scotland, I probably shall not be believed by every one; but that consideration has no weight with me.

I care nothing for the applause or condem nation of a fickle public. Posterity will do me justice. Having thus delivered myself of all necessary explanations, I shall now proceed with the work I have undertaken.

Chapter II. The Master Of Possilrigge

One evening in March 1885, I sat in my study meditating. I had just dined, and, what is more to the point, dined well, therefore my meditations were full of charity towards all men — myself included. I had arrived at that age when a man, possessed of a well-balanced mind, can view critically and impartially, his own circumstances and surroundings, without the fear that his judgment may be warped by any of the delusions or sentimental notions common to persons who have not attained to the mellow age of forty-five. My experience of life had been varied. I had received my full share of its mortifications and dis appointments, and I had learnt to appreciate its many attractions. To enjoy the latter, a man must be chary of his pleasures, moderate in his desires, and careful to cultivate a philosophical frame of mind; expecting little and being contented with less; avoiding, if he can, the acquisition of great wealth, the law courts, matrimony, monetary speculation, agnosticism, and in fact, all risky experi ments and undertakings.

I had fallen in my salad days into some of these pits myself, but succeeded in scrambling out again, and having escaped, had registered a vow never to suffer myself to be tempted again. It is only a fool who is caught twice with the same bait; and I congratulated myself that my natural firmness of character — of which I was then proud — would enable me to reject without a qualm any inducements, however alluring, or any proposals, however fas cinating, which might seek to entice me from the uneventful but solidly comfortable life I had now led for several years — ever since my wife died in fact. In the midst of these reflections the door of my study was suddenly opened, and a young man, a giant in stature and build, and swarthy as a Spaniard, walked into the room, stooping down as he entered as though he feared the doorway was not high enough.

He was certainly the most extraordinary looking individual I had ever met, and his dark, mas terful face, with its square jaw and great hooked nose, stamped its owner as a man designed by nature to be a leader of his kind. Glancing at me, his features relaxed into a smile of recognition, but immediately became grave again in response to my frigid stare. The rudeness of my attitude was to some extent excusable. I had received a letter from the son of a lately deceased friend who wished to consult me THE MASTER OF POSSILRIGGE. 13 on business of some importance, and I was even then looking for his arrival. The appearance, there fore, of this unannounced intruder took me wholly by surprise ; besides, the man's physical peculiarities were sufficient in themselves to make anyone feel nervous. He certainly looked like a gentleman, but his unusual height, combined with his uncompromis ing face and grimness of expression, were but poorly calculated to inspire confidence in the heart of a man of peaceful habits and pursuits.

Observing from my manner that his presence was anything but pleasing to me, he favoured me with a dignified bow and addressed me in a voice which was decidedly softer than one would have expected from a person with such an impressive exterior. Speaking with the air of one who had expected a wel come and received none, he proceeded to apologize for his intrusion, stating that he felt bound to come as his father particularly desired he should do so. " May I ask, Sir, " said I, " who your father happens to be, for I have not the pleasure of knowing his son?" This pertinent remark had the unexpected effect of putting my guest at his ease. " Ah ! " said he, with a smile, " I forgot you had not seen me for some years — I am Richard Grahame of Possilrigge." "What! You Dicky Grahame! Bless my soul, boy, how are you?

Why didn't you say who you were at first, instead of frightening the wits out of me ? Eh ! How could you expect me to recognize in you the little imp of Satan I knew years ago ! Why, man, you must be seven feet high!" " Only six feet five, I assure you. But I knew you at once, Professor — not altered a bit, unless perhaps, you've grown a trifle stouter." " I have grown stouter, Richard, and so a man ought when he turns forty, but, my lad, I've lived as a man should live — a little of everything, you know, and too much of nothing. That is the grand secret of earthly happiness. But come, sit down and let us have a chat about your poor father. Ah, my boy, both you and I lost our best friend when he went over! I saw him three months ago, and he looked like a man who had but a very little time left."

" I never suspected his health was failing, " said Richard — and as he spoke of his father all the grimness died out of his face — " till I was telegraphed for from Cambridge ; I got home on the Friday and was with him till he died two days after. Fortu nately, he was conscious all the time, and strong enough to speak to me." " And what he said came, I fear, both hard and unexpected to you, Dick." " It was certainly unexpected, I must admit, " replied Dick, "for I always believed him to be a fairly rich man, otherwise I would not have remained at Cambridge all these years. Poor old dad! he seemed to think he had done me a terrible injury by playing ducks and drakes with the Possilrigge acres, but as you know, Professor, even in my grand- THE MASTER OF POSSILRIGGE. 15 father's lifetime, our affairs were in more or less of a desperate condition, and how my father not only managed to keep me at Cambridge, but to leave me a clear thousand pounds, is more than I can understand now that I know how badly things went with him of late years."

" He was a careful man, Dick, and spent nothing on himself, and he might even have died a well-to do laird, had he not tried to make you a rich one, by dabbling in stocks and shares. My boy, if you ever have any money, take my advice and invest it in the funds, for depend upon it, stocks and shares were suggested by the Devil to be the curse of every man with a penny over and above his daily necessities. That was your father's experience, and it has been mine." " I will consider that question when I get the wherewithal to invest, but if my father's hopes are ever realized, my cash must be spent in buying back Possilrigge." " Eh ! What ! Had he another scheme for making a fortune ? He once put me up to one that cost a pretty penny before I got clear of it." " Then I am afraid, Professor, you will think this one a trifle speculative, but it has got to be tried for all that."

" And is it about some scheme of his for making money that he wished you to consult me?" "It is, Sir." " Then, Richard Grahame, I give you fair warning that while I shall advise to the best of my ability, I must decline to go further. That confounded lead mine he persuaded me to invest in was enough in all conscience to satisfy, for ever and a day longer, my cravings in that direction." " It is not a venture that would recommend itself to you at all, Professor, and even if it were, I would be the last man to ask you to take more than a friendly interest in it, for besides the risk of losing money, there is also a good chance of meeting with broken bones." " Then, my boy, it certainly would not suit me. What is the idea? — going to start a revolution in South America? " "Almost as senseless, Sir, and a deal more risky; but I'll tell you all about it and you will see how the affair stands.

You may have perhaps heard that an ancestor of mine — my great great grandfather in fact — did a little in the buccaneering line?" " Now that you mention it, Dick, I fancy I did hear some legend about a Sir Richard Grahame who turned pirate." " That is the very man ! He was a naval officer and was knighted for having captured a war-ship twice the size of his own — a Spaniard, I fancy somewhere in the Channel. By a lucky chance this ship had a large sum in gold on board, and Sir Richard's share of the prize money was so consi derable, that he was able to quit the service and settle down while still a young man." " That was before he took to the black flag, I suppose, Dick?" THE MASTER OF POSSILRIGGE. 17 " Yes, some years before, but what I have just told you was all I knew myself, till I came to read the account of what happened afterwards.

For some reason or other, my father never cared to talk on the subject and always discouraged my attempts to gather further information, but when I was called home to see him for the last time, he spoke first of the losses he had sustained — bitterly accusing him sclf of having lost my birthright — and then went on to speak of his great grandfather, Sir Richard, and some great treasure he had acquired, telling me I must get it and save Possilrigge. " I fancied at the time that his mind was wandering, and I dare say it was a little, but I found out after he was gone what it all meant, and a queer tale it is, Professor, as ever man heard. These old papers will tell you all about it; read them for yourself and then we'll talk about the pirate's Will, which you will find written on this yellow scrap of paper.

" n One of the manuscripts handed to me by Richard had evidently been written by a woman ; the other was in a man's handwriting, and they described graphi cally enough all that was known of Sir Richard's " fall " and subsequent career as a freebooter. Upon examining them, I found that Dame Margery Grahame (Sir Richard's wife) was responsible for the first part of the story, while the second and more valuable portion, contained the narrative of a chance meeting between the pirate and a relative named McCraith. The latter, a lawyer by profession, appears, in spite of his calling, to have been an honest and thoroughly conscientious man, and one not at all likely to invent falsehoods to the disadvantage of his own relatives. The papers were of course dis coloured and worn with age, but otherwise uninjured, and bore traces of having been carefully preserved.

As the contents of these documents are not only interesting in themselves, but have an important connection with subsequent events, I shall lay them before the reader.

Chapter III. The Narrative Of Dame Margery Grahame

"A true history of the miserable and woeful fall of Captain Richard Grahame Kt. of Possilrigge in the county of Banff, by the wicked and cruel sor ceries and enchantments of one called Shuna, a Witch. Written in the twenty-first year of her widowhood by Dame Margery Grahame, spouse of the said Richard Grahame. "Is it not written in the Holy Book 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live ' ? and it would be well if men remembered this most righteous and just com mand, lest in an evil day they come to that grievous condition, wmereby, being deceived by the sorceries and spells of these children of Satan, they fall away from all holiness and grace, and being impelled to do all manner of wickedness, at length lose then own souls to all eternity! Amen. " It cometh not to the lot of every man who serveth the King's Majesty on the high seas, to reap such great honour as did my husband, Captain Richard •9 ■ Grahame; yet neither did he make a boast of his valiant actions, nor seek, as some do, to decry those of his brethren.

"When, being weary of the sea, he returned to abide with his own people, bringing with him great riches, he sought not on that account to exalt him self above his neighbours, as being of greater con sequence, but rather set himself to be a friend to all who stood in need of counsel and charity. Neither did he spend his substance in drinking, gaming, and cock-fighting, after the manner of most gentlemen, but lived a sober and quiet life, farming his land and building cottages for such of the fisherfolk who desired to be his tenants, for Possilrigge lieth close to the sea. " All this I have written to show that my husband was not a man by nature prone to evil courses, nor was he easily led away by temptations and flattery ; for though his company was sought after and courted by many persons of quality and wealth, yet his pride increased not, and he was in all things faithful to me his wife.

"In the year 1750 we had been man and wife for the space of three years, and I, with joy and thank fulness, had borne my husband a son — a strong and comely child, who was dear to him as the apple of his eye. This was a year of dreadful storms, and many a fair ship was, by the fury of the waves, dashed to pieces on our coast, bringing great store to the poor of the village, for which mercy they continually thanked God and were grateful. ■ Now, in this part of the country it is accounted — I know not for what reason — a dangerous and foolish thing to succour those who, being ship-wrecked, are in danger of losing their lives in the sea, for they say, 'He that is saved will surely prove to be an enemy, and will bring destruction upon his deliverer.' " Now it came to pass in the winter of this year, that a ship filled with merchandise and having a great company on board, was driven upon the sharp rocks at the mouth of the Bay, and notwithstanding that the mariners strove to save themselves and others by means of the boats, yet did they all perish, and their bodies were cast up on the shore, to the number of four score.

" While the storm yet raged, and while the ship still held together, my husband stood upon the sands watching the wreck, for he scoffed at the saying of the people concerning ship-wrecked folk, and feared not to save hfe from the waters even at the risk of his own. And as he watched, the ship suddenly gave a great heave, and sliding down from the rocks into the sea, it sank in a moment out of sight, carrying down many and leaving others struggling for their lives. But the waves were too strong for them, and they went down one by one, till it seemed as if none were left. Then a lad standing at the water's edge, cried out that he saw a woman lashed to a mast, and the waves were tossing her to and fro like a dead thing. " When he heard this, my husband sought to per suade men to swim out to the woman, offering a great reward to any man who would make the venture, but they would not because of their belief, and seeing that the woman must perish if none went out to her, he tied a rope round about his waist and plunged without fear into the raging sea.

Now the waves ran very high and strong, and but for his great courage and endurance his heart must surely have failed him ; but he was not a man to be easily turned from his purpose in either good or evil, and after a mighty struggle he reached the mast whereon the woman was bound, and finding her alive, he cut the ropes and took her in his arms, and making a signal to those on shore, they were quickly dragged in safety to the land. " I know not why, but my heart was as lead within me when Richard came home, bringing with him a strange woman, borne in the arms of two fishers. Though from very weakness her tongue and her limbs refused their office, yet did her eyes burn bright and fiercely, and when having laid her on a bed I made shift to bring back the life to her frozen body, she turned away without thankfulness, bidding me leave her that she might sleep in peace.

" When the morning came, she sent a maid desiring that her clothes might be given her, and being dressed she came to the room where we sat, and passing me by she went over to my husband, and crouching at his feet she kissed them, calling him her saviour and her del i verer. But being shamed, Richard lifted her up and made light of what he had done, bidding her tell him con cerning the ship and the poor souls who were on board. " Then she told him that her name was ' Shuna ' and how her father reigned in the city of Wayan gara, over the Affri nation; but being stolen away by treachery while yet a child, she was carried to a far country, where being exposed for sale in the market-place, she became the handmaid of a great lady. In this condition, and being dealt with cruelly, she lived a few years, but coming at length to Scot land with her mistress, their ship was cast away and all perished but herself.

"'But,' said my husband, 'how cometh it that you, a white woman, should be sold into slavery?' " To this she replied that all those born in Africa are esteemed black and only fit for slaves; which methinks is a strange doctrine and hard to under stand, for this woman, though she had black hair, was nevertheless fairer of skin than many born and bred in our own land. " And when she had told him all these things she began to weep, praying my husband that he would not send her back into slavery, saying she would rather die a hundred deaths; but he bade her be of good cheer and fear nothing, so that being com forted, she dried her tears and sat down at his feet. " Now, from this day forth my husband was a changed man, and for me all happiness was dead. From being of a cheerful heart he became as one troubled with many cares.