marie-第18章

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attempted。　　I　can　try　to　reach　them。〃



〃Are　you　mad？〃　he　asked。　　〃How　is　it　possible　for　you；　one　man；　to　get

to　Delagoa　Bay；　buy　cattle；　and　rescue　these　folk；　who　probably　are　now

all　dead？〃



〃The　first　two　things　are　possible　enough；　father。　　Some　ship　will　take

me　to　the　Bay。　　You　have　Marais's　money；　and　I　have　that　five　hundred

pounds　which　my　old　aunt　in　England　left　me　last　year。　　Thank　Heaven！

owing　to　my　absence　on　commando；　it　still　lies　untouched　in　the　bank　at

Port　Elizabeth。　　That　is　about　eight　hundred　pounds　in　all；　which　would

buy　a　great　many　cattle　and　other　things。　　As　for　the　third；　it　is　not

in　our　hands；　is　it？　　It　may　be　that　they　cannot　be　rescued；　it　may　be

that　they　are　dead。　　I　can　only　go　to　see。〃



〃But；　Allan；　Allan；　you　are　my　only　son；　and　if　you　go　it　is　probable

that　I　shall　never　see　you　more。〃



〃I　have　been　through　more　dangers　lately；　father；　and　am　still　alive　and

well。　　Moreover；　if　Marie　is　dead〃I　paused；　then　went　on

passionately〃Do　not　try　to　stop　me；　for　I　tell　you；　father；　I　will　not

be　stopped。　　Think　of　the　words　in　that　letter　and　what　a　shameless

hound　I　should　be　if　I　sat　here　quiet　while　Marie　is　dying　yonder。　

Would　you　have　done　so　if　Marie　had　been　my　mother？〃



〃No；〃　answered　the　old　gentleman；　〃I　should　not。　　Go；　and　God　be　with

you；　Allan；　and　me　also；　for　I　never　expect　to　see　you　again。〃　　And　he

turned　his　head　aside　for　a　while。



Then　we　went　into　matters。　　The　smous　was　summoned　and　asked　about　the

ship　which　brought　the　letter　from　Delagoa。　　It　seemed　that　she　was　an

English…owned　brig　known　as　the　Seven　Stars；　and　that　her　captain；　one

Richardson；　proposed　to　sail　back　to　the　Bay　on　the　morrow；　that　was　the

third　of　July；　or　in　other　words；　within　twenty…four　hours。



Twenty…four　hours！　　And　Port　Elizabeth　was　one　hundred　and　eighteen

miles　away；　and　the　Seven　Stars　might　leave　earlier　if　she　had　completed

her　cargo　and　wind　and　weather　served。　　Moreover；　if　she　did　leave；　it

might　be　weeks　or　months　before　any　other　ship　sailed　for　Delagoa　Bay；

for　in　those　days；　of　course；　there　were　no　mail　boats。



I　looked　at　my　watch。　　It　was　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　and　from　a

calendar　we　had；　which　gave　the　tides　at　Port　Elizabeth　and　other　South

African　harbours；　it　did　not　seem　probable　that　the　Seven　Stars　would

sail；　if　she　kept　to　her　date；　before　about　eight　on　the　morrow。　　One

hundred　and　twenty　miles　to　be　covered　in；　say；　fourteen　hours　over

rough　country　with　some　hills！　　Well；　on　the　other　hand；　the　roads　were

fairly　good　and　dry；　with　no　flooded　rivers　to　cross；　although　there

might　be　one　to　swim；　and　there　was　a　full　moon。　　It　could　be

donebarely；　and　now　I　was　glad　indeed　that　Hernan　Pereira　had　not　won

my　swift　mare　in　that　shooting　match。



I　called　to　Hans；　who　was　loafing　about　outside；　and　said　quietly：



〃I　ride　to　Port　Elizabeth；　and　must　be　there　by　eight　o'clock　to…morrow

morning。〃



〃Allemachte！〃　exclaimed　Hans；　who　had　been　that　road　several　times。



〃You　will　go　with　me；　and　from　Port　Elizabeth　on　to　Delagoa　Bay。　　Saddle

the　mare　and　the　roan　horse；　and　put　a　headstall　on　the　chestnut　to　lead

with　you　as　a　spare。　　Give　them　all　a　feed；　but　no　water。　　We　start　in

half　an　hour。〃　　Then　I　added　certain　directions　as　to　the　guns　we　would

take；　saddle…bags；　clothes；　blankets　and　other　details；　and　bade　him

start　about　the　business。



Hans　never　hesitated。　　He　had　been　with　me　through　my　recent　campaign；

and　was　accustomed　to　sudden　orders。　　Moreover；　I　think　that　if　I　had

told　him　I　was　riding　to　the　moon；　beyond　his　customary　exclamation　of

〃Allemachte！〃　he　would　have　made　no　objection　to　accompanying　me

thither。



The　next　half…hour　was　a　busy　time　for　me。　　Henri　Marais's　money　had　to

be　got　out　of　the　strong　box　and　arranged　in　a　belt　of　buck's　hide　that

I　had　strapped　about　me。　　A　letter　had　to　be　written　by　my　father　to　the

manager　of　the　Port　Elizabeth　bank；　identifying　me　as　the　owner　of　the

sum　lodged　there　in　my　name。　　A　meal　must　be　eaten　and　some　food

prepared　for　us　to　carry。　　The　horses'　shoes　had　to　be　seen　to；　and　a

few　clothes　packed　in　the　saddle…bags。　　Also　there　were　other　things

which　I　have　forgotten。　　Yet　within　five…and…thirty　minutes　the　long；

lean　mare　stood　before　the　door。　　Behind　her；　with　a　tall　crane's

feather　in　his　hat；　was　Hans；　mounted　on　the　roan　stallion；　and　leading

the　chestnut；　a　four…year…old　which　I　had　bought　as　a　foal　on　the　mare

as　part　of　the　bargain。　　Having　been　corn　fed　from　a　colt　it　was　a　very

sound　and　well…grown　horse；　though　not　the　equal　of　its　mother　in　speed。



In　the　passage　my　poor　old　father；　who　was　quite　bewildered　by　the

rapidity　and　urgent　nature　of　this　business；　embraced　me。



〃God　bless　you；　my　dear　boy；〃　he　said。　　〃I　have　had　little　time　to

think；　but　I　pray　that　this　may　be　all　for　the　best；　and　that　we　may

meet　again　in　the　world。　　But　if　not；　remember　what　I　have　taught　you；

and　if　I　survive　you；　for　my　part　I　shall　remember　that　you　died　trying

to　do　your　duty。　　Oh；　what　trouble　has　the　blind　madness　of　Henri　Marais

brought　upon　us　all！　　Well；　I　warned　him　that　it　would　be　so。　　Good…bye；

my　dear　boy；　good…bye：　my　prayers　will　follow　you；　and　for　the　rest

Well；　I　am　old；　and　what　does　it　matter　if　my　grey　hairs　come　with

sorrow　to　the　grave？〃



I　kissed　him　back；　and　with　an　aching　heart　sprang　to　the　saddle。　　In

five　more　minutes　the　station　was　out　of　sight。





Thirteen　and　a　half　hours　later　I　pulled　rein　upon　the　quay　of　Port

Elizabeth　just；　only　just；　in　time　to　catch　Captain　Richardson　as　he　was

entering　his　boat　to　row　out　to　the　Seven　Stars；　on　which　the　canvas　was

already　being　hoisted。　　As　well　as　I　could　in　my　exhausted　state；　I

explained　matters　and　persuaded　him　to　wait　till　the　next　tide。　　Then；

thanking　God　for　the　mare's　speedthe　roan　had　been　left　foundered

thirty　miles　away；　and　Hans　was　following　on　the　chestnut；　but　not　yet

upI　dragged　the　poor　beast　to　an　inn　at　hand。　　There　she　lay　down　and

died。　　Well；　she　had　done　her　work；　and　there　was　no　other　horse　in　the

country　that　could　have　caught　that　boat。



An　hour　or　so　later　Hans　came　in　flogging　the　chestnut；　and　here　I　may

add　that　both　it　and　the　roan　recovered。　　Indeed　I　rode　them　for　many

years；　until　they　were　quite　old。　　When　I　had　eaten；　or　tried　to　eat

something　and　rested　awhile；　I　went　to　the　bank；　succeeded　in　explaining

the　state　of　the　case　to　the　manager；　and　after　some　difficulty；　for

gold　was　not　very　plentiful　in　Port　Elizabeth；　procured　three　hundred

pounds　in　sovereigns。　　For　the　other　two　he　gave　me　a　bill　upon　some

agent　in　Delagoa　Bay；　together　with　a　letter　of　recommendation　to　him

and　the　Portuguese　governor；　who；　it　appeared；　was　in　debt　to　their

establishment。　　By　an　afterthought；　however；　although　I　kept　the

letters；　I　returned　him　the　bill　and　spent　the　#200　in　purchasing　a

great　variety　of　goods　which　I　will　not　enumerate；　that　I　knew　would　be

useful　for　trading　purposes　among　the　east　coast　Kaffirs。　　Indeed；　I

practically　cleared　out　the　Port　Elizabeth　stores；　and　barely　had　time；

with　the　help　of　Hans　and　the　storekeepers；　to　pack　and　ship　the　goods

before　the　Seven　Stars　put　out　to　sea。





Within　twenty…four　hours　from　the　time　I　had　left　the　Mission　Station；

Hans　and　I　saw　behind　us　Port　Elizabeth　fading　into　the　distance；　and　in

front　a　waste　of　stormy　waters。







CHAPTER　VIII









THE　CAMP　OF　DEATH











Everything　went　well　upon　that　voyage；　except　with　me　personally。　　Not

having　been　on　the　ocean　since　I　was　a　child；　I；　who　am　naturally　no

good　sailor；　was　extremely　ill　as　day　by　day　we　ploughed　through　seas

that　grew　ever　more　rough。　　Also；　strong　as　I　was；　that　fearful　ride　had

overdone　me。　　Added　to　these　physical　discomforts　was　my　agonising

anxiety　of　mind；　which　I　leave　anyone　with　imagination　to　picture　for

himself。　　Really　there　were　times　when　I　wished　that　the　Seven　Stars

would　plunge　headlong　to　the　bottom　of　the　deep　and　put　an　end　to　me　and

my　miseries。



These；　however；　so　far　as　the　bodily　side　of　them　was　concerned；　were；　I

think；　surpassed　by　those　of　my　henchman　Hans；　who；　as　a　matter　of　fact；

had　never　before　set　foot　in　any　kind　of　boat。　　Perhaps　this　was

fortunate；　since　had　he　known　the　horrors　of　the　ocean；　much　as　he　loved

me；　he　would；　I　am　sure；　by　one　means　or　another；　have　left　me　to　voyage

in　the　Seven　Stars　alone。　　There　he　lay　upon　the　floor　of　my　little

cabin；　rolling　to　and　fro　with　the　violent　motion　of　the　brig；　overcome

with　terror。　　He　was　convinced　that　we　were　going　to　be　drowned；　and　in

the　intervals　of　furious　sea…sickness　uttered　piteous　lamentations　in

Dutch；　English；　and　various　native　tongues；　mingled　with　curses　and

prayers　of　the　most　primitive　and　realistic　order。



After　the　first　twenty…four　hours　or　so　he　informed　me　with　many　moans

that　the　last　bit　of　his　inside　had　just　come　out　of　him；　and　that　he

was　now　quite　hollow　〃like　a　gourd。〃　　Also　he　declared　that　all　these

evils　had　fallen　upon　him　because　he　had　been　fool　enough　to　forsake　the

religion　of　his　people　（what　was　that；　I　wonder）；　and　allow　himself　to

be　〃washed　white；〃　that　is；　be　baptised；　by　my　father。



I　answered　that　as　he　had　become　white　instead　of　staying　yellow；　I

advised　him　to　remain　so；　since　it　was　evident　that　the　Hottentot　gods

would　have　nothing　more　to　do　with　one　who　had　deserted　them。　　Thereon

he　made　a　dreadful　face；　which　even　in　the　midst　of　my　own　woes　caused

me　to　laugh　at　him；　uttered　a　prolonged　groan；　and　became　so　silent　that

I　thought　he　must　be　dead。　　However；　the　sailor　who　brought　me　my

foodsuch　food！assured　me　that　this　was　not　so；　and　lashed　him　tight

to　the　legs　of　the　bunk　by　his　arm　and　ankle　so　as　to　prevent　him　from

being　rolled　to　bits。



Next　morning　Hans　was　dosed　with　brandy；　which；　in　his　empty　condition；

made　him　extremely　drunk；　and　from　that　time　forward　began　to　take　a

more　cheerful　view　of　things。　　Especially　was　this　so　when　the　hours　for

the　〃brandy　medicine〃　came　round。　　Hans；　like　most　other　Hottentots；

loved　spirits；　and　would　put　up　with　much　to　get　them；　even　with　my

father's　fiery　indignation。



I　think　it　was　on　the　fourth　day　that　at　length　we　pitched　and　rolled

ourselves　over　the　shallow　bar　of　Port　Natal　and　found　ourselves　at

peace　for　a　while　under　shelter　of　the　Point　in　the　beautiful　bay　upon

the　shores　of　which　the　town　of　Durban　now　stands。　　Then　it　was　but　a

miserable　place；　consisting　of　a　few　shanties　which　were　afterwards

burnt　by　the　Zulus；　and　a　number　of　Kaffir　huts。　　For　such　white　men　as

dwelt　there　had　for　the　most　part　native　followings；　and；　I　may　add；

native　wives。



We　spent　two　days　at　this　settlement　of　Durban；　where　Captain　Richardson

had　some　cargo　to　land　for　the　English　settlers；　one　or　two　of　whom　had

started