"Treasure of the Lake"
"Treasure of the Lake" is a late work in which Haggard returns to his old familiar African adventures with Allan Quatermain. This time Quatermain, with his old Hottentot servant or friend (he is really both) Hans find themselves the half-unwilling guests of a mysterious Kaneke, a black African who has assumed the identity of an Arab slaver, one Hassan, and rules a small village. But it soon becomes apparent that Kaneke is as much a prisoner as he is chief, and indeed he as brought Quatermain to the village so that he (Quatermain) can help him return to his homeland.
Kaneke tells Quatermain, in a tale which the latter only half believes, that he has been exiled from his homeland due to seeing and embracing the sacred priestess Shadow, who he was the mother of the one he was destined to marry. In punishment for his crime he was exiled, though he was allowed to live, until such time as he would return to expiate his crime, to win the priestess again. Hans tells Quatermain more details, which he has from a young and pretty women, named White-Mouse, who is Kaneke jealous wife. Quatermain reluctantly agrees to accompany Kaneke, for a fee, party because he is given little choice, but also because he is curious to see this land, the Lake Mone (pronounced "moan"), which he has heard is ruled by a fetish or goddess, in the form of a beautiful woman.
But the village seize Kaneke for killing an elder, and try him for this and other crimes, including trying to run away. The only reason that they have held their hands so long is because they were frightened of him, and because as a great wizard he was able to bring them rain. He is condemned to be strangled the next day.
White-Mouse leads Quatermain and Hans through a secret shaft into Kaneke's house, where he is under guard. But although they rescue him, White-Mouse is trapped on the other side of a trapdoor, and, as they believe, killed by the enraged Arabs. The party, with Tom and Jerry, Quatermain's hunters, head for Kaneke's homeland.
The trip proves easy, and even the wild beasts do not get in their way. This is perhaps accounted for by Kanake'e claimed ability to order them about, a power which he says comes to him as the Shield of the Shadow, or espoused husband of the goddess or priestess.
As evidence of this Quatermain, Hans and their two hunters find themselves, when invited to go hunting elephants, surrounded by a huge herd, apparently paying fealty to a King elephant, just as Kanake said would happen.
Approaching the borders of his homeland, Kanake is met by tribesmen resembling him in feature and form, who escort them and become their bearers after their own run away. They learn that the country from whence he came, the Dabanda, is surrounded by the far more numerous Abanda, and at war with them. To confirm this a large party of natives are seen pursuing a fugitive. They save him - despite Kaneke's remonstrances - and discover that it is a white man. This "Wanderer" (as he is later called by the Dabanda) is John Arkle, an English gentleman. He tells Quatermain, who only partly believes him - thinking he is deluded - that he has been haunted by visions of a lovely fair-skinned woman by a lake shore in Africa, since first seeing a vision of her late one night (or probably early one morning) in London. Quatermain recognises the uncanny resemblance to Kanake's own tale, and his own knowledge of African lore. Further, Arkle tells him that he has seen the woman, hwo told him that she has been waiting for him for ages, after (in an earlier life) having killed "him" so that he might follow her to the stars.
The woman is the Shadow, the Dweller in the Lake, or the Engoi (literally the "divine"). She is priestess, living with her virgins on an island in the lake, until a husband is sent to her. When she dies the husband also dies - either by his own hand, in battle, or by burning if he shows signs of hesitation. It seems that the life of the Engoi is not her own either, and that she expires when her daughter is of suitable age, when she marries the new Shield.
Kumpana, the President of the Council, has led Arkle to the lake, but when he defies warnings and embraces the priestess he finds himself whirled away, and recovered his mind just before Haggard comes on the scene.
Kanake, who sees in Arkle a rival, is quick to run ahead, and Tom and Jerry are killed preventing the Abanda from taking Quatermain, who is supporting the weak Arkle. He even tries to murder Arkle, but the latter prevails. There is now an open contest between Arkle. Kumpana and his Dabanda arrive in time to see this, and Arkle makes Kaneke swear allegiance to Arkle, in return for his life.
In Dabanda-town the priests, led by Kumpana, hold a ceremony in which the rivalry is set out. Kaneke claims to still be the Shield, while Arkle claims that he is now the Shield, because of the oath by Kaneke. The Engoi herself is summoned to judge, an unheard-of event. But she comes, as was perhaps arranged. She appears - apparently out of nowhere, and declares in favour of Arkle, who promises her allegiance. Kaneke tries to kill the Engoi, but is swept back by mysterious white figures (or so it seemed to Quatermain) and he flies after being cursed by the priestess.
While the people of Dabanda prepare for the inevitable war with the Abanda - fuelled by ancient jealousy, and by a three-year drought, Kumpana takes Quaterman and Hans into the sacred forest to the shore of Lake Mone. Mone, the Holy Lake. They see the island, and Egyptian-type buildings - half ruined - on its shores. But they are warned that no man, save the Shield, may alight on it. Quatermain and Hans saw what looked like a burial at sea, and Hans could have sworn he saw the body move as though struggling against bonds. Perhaps it was the last Shield, since he was no longer needed.
Returning to town Quaterman and Hans argue over the spirits of the Abanda, and incense Kumpana, who thinks they are laughing at his divinities. So he abandons them in the darkess. Unable to proceed any further - for such is the size of the trees that almost no light reaches the forest floor - they wait for dawn in the forest. But they are beset by what could be spirits, and pass an uncomfortable night out. Towards morning a figure appears, who guides them to town. It is a young woman, with a voice and figure which is familiar - surely it cannot be the White-Mouse? Kaneke did say she could not be killed.
Kaneke has made himself chief of the Abanda. He declares that he will end the age-old division, between the tribes, which was caused by the murder of one chief by his brother and the exile of the guilty party and his following. He demands that the Shadow be given to him, and the Wanderer and Quatermain be killed, and that the Engoi give them back their rain, or he will attack the Dabanda.
The priests are not worried. They prepare the defences, and they tell the Abanda that they will have their rain. Quatermain is advised by Kumpana to remain indoors. He does so, and a violent storm arises - doubtless predicted by the heaven-herds (or rain doctors) rather than actually summoned. It is accompanied by violent earthquakes. Next day the 250 strong army marches out, with Quatermain in the van, to confront the many thousand strong Abanda army. But the find the precipice which guarded their land rent in two, and the wall open to attack and defenceless. They run back to Dabanda town with the Abanda army in hot pursuit.
Passing through the town, which has been evacuated, the Abanda enter the sacred forest, and reach the shore of the lake. Here the Engoi again appears, and curses the Abanda to be passed to the judgement of the beasts. They are afraid, and withdraw in hast. In the night they are attacked by the herd of elephants as they flee in increasing panic through the forest. Many hundreds are killed. Kaneke is captured, and is burnt on the holy altar in Dabanda town. Arkle disappears on a canoe with the Engoi. Kumpana promises to arrange for Quatermain to be escorted safely home.
A woman brings Quatermain a message of farewell from Arkle. The messenger is the White-Mouse, who is evasive as to how she survived and managed to get back to Dabanda. Arkle says he will try to overthrow the power of the priests. It is his belief that the Engoi is really a mouthpiece for the President of the Council, who uses mesmeric powers over her - she was not aware of what she spoke when inspired. It is his belief that the susceptability of the Engoi declines with age, and when it is worn out she is replaced (and her husband disposed of). Whether he was destined to succeed Quatermain never discovered. He did find - for Kumpana told him afterwards - was that everything has occured as they had arranged.
He learns that Kaneke was ordered (through White-Mouse, one of the virgins of the Holy Lake) to return, and to bring Quatermain. He (Quatermain) was required to save Arkle from the Abanda, and also to entrap the Abanda, because they only pursued the tiny Dabanda army into the forest because they thought that the great Macumazahn was afraid of them, and was running. The priests also wanted Kaneke, so that he could guide Quatermain, and also so that he could receive punishment for his sin. This apparently was far worse than merely embracing the Shadow of the day (Haggard lets our imagination work here; he is too much of a gentleman to be specific, though modern writers would not be so bashful). Most importantly, he was needed to get the Abanda to attack when they did. Ancient prophecy held that the tribe would be reunited by a Shield of the Engoi, and this has been brought about. The famished, and now earthquake ruined and storm ravished survivors submit willingly to the control of the Engoi, or rather of the Council, who are the real rulers.
This tale is one of the more "traditional" of the Haggard works, though quite late (published in 1925). The African mysticism is strong - and although Quatermain professes skepticism, the reader is clearly expected to have at least an open mind. Curiously, unlike some of his other works involving gods, goddesses, priests and priestesses or monsters on islands (such as "The Holy Flower" or even "Heart of the World"), "Treasure of the Lake" leaves much unexplained as the nature of the priestess and her worship - so much the better. The culture of the Dabanda is almost as curious as that of the "The Ghost Kings".
Unlike most Haggard stories there are no strong female characters. The Engoi is always a distant figure; White-Mouse is closer but we don't see much of her. The only characters - other than Quatermain and Hans - who are properly developed are the hunters Tom and Jerry, and Kaneke. The latter is unusual in being a mixture of good and bad. Arkle is mystical, as are the Dabanda - and it could be that Haggard was influencced by post-war depression (assuming the manuscipt was written shortly before he died).
This is one of Haggards more blood-thirstly stories. There are men killed by gun and knife, as usual, but also men burnt on an altar, beaten to death (the original Hassan), torn to pieces by enraged elephants, killed by earthquake and storm, and drowned. All-in-all a good introduction to the "novelist of blood", quite tastefully done.