marie-第20章

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we　dared　not　let　them　loose　fearing　lest　they　should　stray；　also　lions

were　roaring　in　the　distance；　although；　game　being　plentiful；　these　did

not　come　near　to　us。　　As　soon　as　there　was　any　light　we　let　out　the

teams　to　fill　themselves　on　the　tussocky　grass　that　grew　about；　and

meanwhile　cooked　and　ate　some　food。



Presently　the　sun　rose；　and　I　saw　that　beneath　us　was　a　great　stretch　of

plain　covered　with　mist；　and　to　the　north；　on　our　right；　several　denser

billows　of　mist　that　marked　the　course　of　the　Crocodile　River。



By　degrees　this　mist　lifted；　tall　tops　of　trees　appearing　above　it；　till

at　length　it　thinned　into　vapour　that　vanished　away　as　the　sun　rose。　　As

I　watched　it　idly；　the　woman；　Jeel；　crept　up　to　me　in　her　furtive

fashion；　touched　me　on　the　shoulder　and　pointed　to　a　distant　group　of

trees。



Looking　closely　at　these　trees；　I　saw　between　them　what　at　first　I　took

for　some　white　rocks。　　Further　examination；　as　the　mist　cleared；

suggested　to　my　mind；　however；　that　they　might　be　wagon　tilts。　　Just

then　the　Zulu　who　understood　Jeel's　talk　came　up。　　I　asked　him　as　well

as　I　could；　for　at　that　time　my　knowledge　of　his　tongue　was　very

imperfect；　what　she　wished　to　say。　　He　questioned　her；　and　answered　that

she　desired　to　tell　me　that　those　were　the　moving　houses　of　the　Amaboona

（the　Boer　people）；　just　where　she　had　seen　them　nearly　two　moons　ago。



At　this　tidings　my　heart　seemed　to　stand　still；　so　that　for　more　than　a

minute　I　could　not　speak。　　There　were　the　wagons　at　last；　butoh！　who

and　what　should　I　find　in　them？　　I　called　Hans　and　bade　him　inspan　as

quickly　as　possible；　explaining　to　him　that　yonder　was　Marais's　camp。



〃Why　not　let　the　oxen　fill　themselves　first；　baas？〃　he　answered。　　〃There

is　no　hurry；　for　though　the　wagons　are　there；　no　doubt　all　the　people

are　dead　long　ago。〃



〃Do　what　I　bid　you；　you　ill…omened　beast；〃　I　said；　〃instead　of　croaking

of　death　like　a　crow。　　And　listen：　I　am　going　to　walk　forward　to　that

camp；　you　must　follow　with　the　wagons　as　fast　as　they　can　travel。〃



〃No；　baas；　it　is　not　safe　that　you　should　go　alone。　　Kaffirs　or　wild

beasts　might　take　you。〃



〃Safe　or　not；　I　am　going；　but　if　you　think　it　wise；　tell　two　of　those

Zulus　to　come　with　me。〃



A　few　minutes　later　I　was　on　the　road；　followed　by　the　two　Kaffirs　armed

with　spears。　　In　my　youth　I　was　a　good　runner；　being　strong　of　leg　and

light　in　body；　but　I　do　not　think　that　I　ever　covered　seven　miles；　for

that　was　about　the　distance　to　the　camp；　in　quicker　time　than　I　did　that

morning。　　Indeed；　I　left　those　active　Kaffirs　so　far　behind　that　when　I

approached　the　trees　they　were　not　in　sight。　　Here　I　dropped　to　a　walk；

as　I　said　to　myselfto　get　my　breath。　　Really　it　was　because　I　felt　so

terrified　at　what　I　might　find　that　I　delayed　the　discovery　just　for　one

minute　more。　　While　I　approached；　hope；　however　faint；　still　remained；

when　I　arrived；　hope　might　be　replaced　by　everlasting　despair。



Now　I　could　see　that　there　were　some　shanties　built　behind　the　wagons；

doubtless　those　〃rude　houses〃　of　which　Marie　had　written。　　But　I　could

not　see　anyone　moving　about　them；　or　any　cattle　or　any　smoke；　or　other

sign　of　life。　　Nor　could　I　hear　a　single　sound。



Doubtless；　thought　I　to　myself；　Hans　is　right。　　They　are　all　long　dead。



My　agony　of　suspense　was　replaced　by　an　icy　calm。　　At　length　I　knew　the

worst。　　It　was　finishedI　had　striven　in　vain。　　I　walked　through　the

outlying　trees　and　between　two　of　the　wagons。　　One　of　these　I　noticed；

as　we　do　notice　things　at　such　times；　was　the　same　in　which　Marais　had

trekked　with　his　daughter；　his　favourite　wagon　that　once　I　had　helped　to

fit　with　a　new　dissel…boom。



Before　me　were　the　rough　houses　built　of　the　branches　of　trees；　daubed

over　with　mud；　or　rather　the　backs　of　them；　for　they　faced　west。　　I

stood　still　for　a　moment；　and　as　I　stood　thought　that　I　heard　a　faint

sound　as　of　someone　reciting　slowly。　　I　crept　along　the　end　of　the

outermost　house　and；　rubbing　the　cold　sweat　from　my　eyes；　peeped　round

the　corner；　for　it　occurred　to　me　that　savages　might　be　in　possession。　

Then　I　saw　what　caused　the　sound。　　A　tattered；　blackened；　bearded　man

stood　at　the　head　of　a　long　and　shallow　hole　saying　a　prayer。



It　was　Henri　Marais；　although　at　the　time　I　did　not　recognise　him；　so

changed　was　he。　　A　number　of　little　mounds　to　the　right　and　left　of　him

told　me；　however；　that　the　hole　was　a　grave。　　As　I　watched　two　more　men

appeared；　dragging　between　them　the　body　of　a　woman；　which　evidently

they　had　not　strength　to　carry；　as　its　legs　trailed　upon　the　ground。　

From　the　shape　of　the　corpse　it　seemed　to　be　that　of　a　tall　young　woman；

but　the　features　I　could　not　see；　because　it　was　being　dragged　face

downwards。　　Also　the　long　hair　hanging　from　the　head　hid　them。　　It　was

dark　hair；　like　Marie's。　　They　reached　the　grave；　and　tumbled　their　sad

burden　into　it；　but　II　could　not　stir！



At　length　my　limbs　obeyed　my　will。　　I　went　forward　to　the　men　and　said

in　a　hollow　voice　in　Dutch：



〃Whom　do　you　bury？〃



〃Johanna　Meyer；〃　answered　someone　mechanically；　for　they　did　not　seem　to

have　taken　the　trouble　to　look　at　me。　　As　I　listened　to　those　words　my

heart；　which　had　stood　still　waiting　for　the　answer；　beat　again　with　a

sudden　bound　that　I　could　hear　in　the　silence。



I　looked　up。　　There；　advancing　from　the　doorway　of　one　of　the　houses；

very　slowly；　as　though　overpowered　by　weakness；　and　leading　by　the　hand

a　mere　skeleton　of　a　child；　who　was　chewing　some　leaves；　I　sawI　saw

_Marie　Marais！_　　She　was　wasted　to　nothing；　but　I　could　not　mistake　her

eyes；　those　great　soft　eyes　that　had　grown　so　unnaturally　large　in　the

white；　thin　face。



She　too　saw　me　and　stared　for　one　moment。　　Then；　loosing　the　child；　she

cast　up　her　hands；　through　which　the　sunlight　shone　as　through

parchment；　and　slowly　sank　to　the　ground。



〃She　has　gone；　too；〃　said　one　of　the　men　in　an　indifferent　voice。　　〃I

thought　she　would　not　last　another　day。〃



Now　for　the　first　time　the　man　at　the　head　of　the　grave　turned。　　Lifting

his　hand；　he　pointed　to　me；　whereon　the　other　two　men　turned　also。



〃God　above　us！〃　he　said　in　a　choked　voice；　〃at　last　I　am　quite　mad。　

Look！　there　stands　the　spook　of　young　Allan；　the　son　of　the　English

predicant　who　lived　near　Cradock。〃



As　soon　as　I　heard　the　voice　I　knew　the　speaker。



〃Oh；　Mynheer　Marais！〃　I　cried；　〃I　am　no　ghost；　I　am　Allan　himself　come

to　save　you。〃



Marais　made　no　answer；　he　seemed　bewildered。　　But　one　of　the　men　cried

out　crazily：



〃How　can　you　save　us；　youngster；　unless　you　are　ready　to　be　eaten？　

Don't　you　see；　we　starve；　we　starve！〃



〃I　have　wagons　and　food；〃　I　answered。



〃Allemachte！　Henri；〃　exclaimed　the　man；　with　a　wild　laugh；　〃do　you　hear

what　your　English　spook　says？　　He　says　that　he　has　wagons　and　_food；

food；　food！_〃



Then　Marais　burst　into　tears　and　flung　himself　upon　my　breast；　nearly

knocking　me　down。　　I　wrenched　myself　free　of　him　and　ran　to　Marie；　who

was　lying　face　upwards　on　the　ground。　　She　seemed　to　hear　my　step；　for

her　eyes　opened　and　she　struggled　to　a　sitting　posture。



〃Is　it　really　you；　Allan；　or　do　I　dream？〃　she　murmured。



〃It　is　I；　it　is　I；〃　I　answered；　lifting　her　to　her　feet；　for　she　seemed

to　weigh　no　more　than　a　child。　　Her　head　fell　upon　my　shoulder；　and　she

too　began　to　weep。



Still　holding　her；　I　turned　to　the　men　and　said：



〃Why　do　you　starve　when　there；　is　game　all　about？〃　and　I　pointed　to　two

fat　elands　strolling　among　the　trees　not　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty

yards　away。



〃Can　we　kill　game　with　stones？〃　asked　one　of　them；　〃we　whose　powder　was

all　burnt　a　month　ago。　　Those　buck；〃　he　added；　with　a　wild　laugh；　〃come

here　to　mock　us　every　morning；　but　they　will　not　walk　into　our　pitfalls。

　They　know　them　too　well；　and　we　have　no　strength　to　dig　others。〃



Now　when　I　left　my　wagons　I　had　brought　with　me　that　same　Purdey　rifle

with　which　I　had　shot　the　geese　in　the　match　against　Pereira；　choosing

it　because　it　was　so　light　to　carry。　　I　held　up　my　hand　for　silence；　set

Marie　gently　on　the　ground；　and　began　to　steal　towards　the　elands。　

Taking　what　shelter　I　could；　I　got　within　a　hundred　yards　of　them；　when

suddenly　they　took　alarm；　being　frightened；　in　fact；　by　my　two　Zulu

servants；　who　were　now　arriving。



Off　they　galloped；　the　big　bull　leading；　and　vanished　behind　some　trees。

　I　saw　their　line；　and　that　they　would　appear　again　between　two　clumps

of　bush　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　yards　away。　　Hastily　I　raised　the

full　sight　on　the　rifle；　which　was　marked　for　two　hundred　yards；　lifted

it；　and　waited；　praying　to　God　as　I　did　so　that　my　skill　might　not　fail

me。



The　bull　appeared；　its　head　held　forward；　its　long　horns　lying　flat　upon

the　back。　　The　shot　was　very　long；　and　the　beast　very　large　to　bring

down　with　so　small　a　bullet。　　I　aimed　right　forwardclear　of　it；

indeedhigh　too；　in　a　line　with　its　backbone；　and　pressed　the　trigger。



The　rifle　exploded；　the　bullet　clapped；　and　the　buck　sprang　forward

faster　than　ever。　　I　had　failed！　　But　what　was　this？　　Suddenly　the　great

bull　swung　round　and　began　to　gallop　towards　us。　　When　it　was　not　more

than　fifty　yards　away；　it　fell　in　a　heap；　rolled　twice　over　like　a　shot

rabbit；　and　lay　still。　　That　bullet　was　in　its　heart。



The　two　Kaffirs　appeared　breathless　and　streaming　with　perspiration。



〃Cut　meat　from　the　eland's　flank；　don't　stop　to　skin　it；〃　I　said　in　my

broken　Zulu；　helping　the　words　out　with　signs。



They　understood；　and　a　minute　later　were　at　work　with　their　assegais。　

Then　I　looked　about　me。　　Near　by　lay　a　store　of　dead　branches　placed

there　for　fuel。



〃Have　you　fire？〃　I　asked　of　the　skeleton　Boers；　for　they　were　nothing

more。



〃Nein；　nein；〃　they　answered；　〃our　fire　is　dead。〃



I　produced　the　tinder…box　which　I　carried　with　me；　and　struck　the　flint。

　Ten　minutes　later　we　had　a　cheerful　blaze；　and　within　three…quarters　of

an　hour　good　soup；　for　iron　pots　were　not　wantingonly　food　to　put　into

them。　　I　think　that　for　the　rest　of　that　day　those　poor　creatures　did

little　else　but　eat；　sleeping　between　their　meals。　　Oh！　the　joy　I　had　in

feeding　them；　especially　after　the　wagons　arrived；　bringing　with　them

salthow　they　longed　for　that　salt！sugar　and　coffee。







CHAPTER　IX









THE　PROMISE











Of　the　original　thirty…five　souls；　not　reckoning　natives；　who　had

accompanied　Henri　Marais　upon　his　ill…fated　expedition；　there　now

remained　but　nine　alive　at　the　new　Maraisfontein。　　These　were　himself；

his　daughter；　four　Prinsloosa　family　of　extraordinary

constitutionand　three　Meyers；　being　the　husband　of　the　poor　woman　I

had　seen　committed　to　the　grave　and　two　of　her　six　children。　　The　rest；

Hernan　Pereira　excepted；　had　died　of　fever　and　actual　starvation；　for

when　the　fever　lessened　with　the　change　of　the　s