marie-第22章

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wait　for　those　six　months；　if；　on　his　part；　he　promises　that　he　will

then　do　nothing　to　prevent　our　marriage。〃



〃Ja；　ja；　I　promise　that　then　I　will　do　nothing　to　prevent　your

marriage；〃　answered　Marais　eagerly；　like　one　who　has　suddenly　seen　some

loophole　of　escape　from　an　impossible　position；　adding；　as　though　to

himself；　〃But　God　may　do　something　to　prevent　it；　for　all　that。〃



〃We　are　every　one　of　us　in　the　hand　of　God；〃　she　replied　in　her　sweet

voice。　　〃Allan；　you　hear；　my　father　has　promised？〃



〃Yes；　Marie；　he　has　promisedafter　a　fashion；〃　I　replied　gloomily；　for

somehow　his　words　struck　a　chill　through　me。



〃I　have　promised；　Allan；　and　I　will　keep　my　promise　to　you；　as　I　have

kept　my　oath　to　God；　attempting　to　work　you　no　harm；　and　leaving　all　in

His　hands。　　But　you；　on　your　part；　must　promise　also　that；　till　she　is

of　age；　you　will　not　take　Marie　as　a　wifeno；　not　if　you　were　left

alone　together　in　the　veld。　　You　must　be　as　people　who　are　affianced　to

each　other；　no　more。〃



So；　having　no　choice；　I　promised；　though　with　a　heavy　heart。　　Then；　I

suppose　in　order　to　make　this　solemn　contract　public；　Marais　called　the

surviving　Boers；　who　were　loitering　near；　and　repeated　to　them　the　terms

of　the　contract　that　we　had　made。



The　men　laughed　and　shrugged　their　shoulders。　　But　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　I

remember；　said　outright　that　she　thought　the　business　foolish；　since　if

anyone　had　a　right　to　Marie；　I　had；　wherever　I　chose　to　take　her。　　She

added　that；　as　for　Hernan　Pereira；　he　was　a　〃sneak　and　a　stinkcat；〃　who

had　gone　off　to　save　his　own　life；　and　left　them　all　to　die。　　If　_she_

were　Marie；　should　they　meet　again；　she　would　greet　him　with　a　pailful

of　dirty　water　in　the　face；　as　she　herself　meant　to　do　if　she　got　the

chance。



Vrouw　Prinsloo；　it　will　be　observed；　was　a　very　outspoken　woman　and；　I

may　add；　an　honest　one。



So　this　contract　was　settled。　　I　have　set　it　out　at　length　because　of

its　importance　in　our　story。　　But　now　I　wishah！　how　I　wish　that　I　had

insisted　upon　being　married　to　Marie　then　and　there。　　If　I　had　done　so；

I　think　I　should　have　carried　my　point；　for　I　was　the　〃master　of　many

legions〃　in　the　shape　of　cattle；　food　and　ammunition；　and　rather　than

risk　a　quarrel　with　me；　the　other　Boers　would　have　forced　Marais　to　give

way。　　But　we　were　young　and　inexperienced；　also　it　was　fated　otherwise。　

Who　can　question　the　decrees　of　Fate　written　immutably；　perhaps　long

before　we　were　born；　in　the　everlasting　book　of　human　destinies？



Yet；　when　I　had　shaken　off　my　first　fears　and　doubts；　my　lot　and　Marie's

were　very　happy；　a　perfect　paradise；　indeed；　compared　with　what　we　had

gone　through　during　that　bitter　time　of　silence　and　separation。　　At　any

rate；　we　were　acknowledged　to　be　affianced　by　the　little　society　in

which　we　lived；　including　her　father；　and　allowed　to　be　as　much　alone

together　as　we　liked。　　This　meant　that　we　met　at　dawn　only　to　separate

at　nightfall；　for；　having　little　or　no　artificial　light；　we　went　to　rest

with　the　sun；　or　shortly　after　it。　　Sweet；　indeed；　was　that

companionship　of　perfect　trust　and　love；　so　sweet；　that　even　after　all

these　years　I　do　not　care　to　dwell　upon　the　holy　memory　of　those　blessed

months。



So　soon　as　the　surviving　Boers　began　to　recover　by　the　help　of　my　stores

and　medicines　and　the　meat　which　I　shot　in　plenty；　of　course　great

discussions　arose　as　to　our　future　plans。　　First　it　was　suggested　that

we　should　trek　to　Lorenzo　Marquez；　and　wait　for　a　ship　there　to　take　us

down　to　Natal；　for　none　of　them　would　hear　of　returning　beggared　to　the

Cape　to　tell　the　story　of　their　failure　and　dreadful　bereavements。　　I

pointed　out；　however；　that　no　ship　might　come　for　a　long　while；　perhaps

for　one　or　two　years；　and　that　Lorenzo　Marquez　and　its　neighborhood

seemed　to　be　a　poisonous　place　to　live　in！



The　next　idea　was　that　we　should　stop　where　we　were；　one　which　I　rather

welcomed；　as　I　should　have　been　glad　to　abide　in　peace　with　Marie　until

the　six　months　of　probation　had　gone　by。



However；　in　the　end　this　was　rejected　for　many　good　reasons。　　Thus　half

a　score　of　white　people；　of　whom　four　were　members　of　a　single　family；

were　certainly　not　strong　enough　to　form　a　settlement；　especially　as　the

surrounding　natives　might　become　actively　hostile　at　any　moment。　　Again；

the　worst　fever　season　was　approaching；　in　which　we　should　very　possibly

all　be　carried　off。　　Further；　we　had　no　breeding　cattle　or　horses；　which

would　not　live　in　this　veld；　and　only　the　ammunition　and　goods　that　I

had　brought　with　me。



So　it　was　clear　that　but　one　thing　remained　to　be　done；　namely；　to　trek

back　to　what　is　now　the　Transvaal　territory；　or；　better　still；　to　Natal；

for　this　route　would　enable　us　to　avoid　the　worst　of　the　mountains。　

There　we　might　join　some　other　party　of　the　emigrant　Boersfor　choice；

that　of　Retief；　of　whose　arrival　over　the　Drakensberg　I　was　able　to　tell

them。



That　point　settled；　we　made　our　preparations。　　To　begin　with；　I　had　only

enough　oxen　for　two　wagons；　whereas；　even　if　we　abandoned　the　rest　of

them；　we　must　take　at　least　four。　　Therefore；　through　my　Kaffirs；　I

opened　negotiations　with　the　surrounding　natives；　who；　when　they　heard

that　I　was　not　a　Boer　and　was　prepared　to　pay　for　what　I　bought；　soon

expressed　a　willingness　to　trade。　　Indeed；　very　shortly　we　had　quite　a

market　established；　to　which　cattle　were　brought　that　I　bargained　for

and　purchased；　giving　cloth；　knives；　hoes；　and　the　usual　Kaffir　goods　in

payment　for　the　same。



Also；　they　brought　mealies　and　other　corn；　and　oh！　the　delight　with

which　those　poor　people；　who　for　months　and　months　had　existed　upon

nothing　but　flesh…meat；　ate　of　this　farinaceous　food。　　Never　shall　I

forget　seeing　Marie　and　the　surviving　children　partake　of　their　first

meal　of　porridge；　and　washing　the　sticky　stuff　down　with　draughts　of

fresh；　sugared　milk；　for　with　the　oxen　I　had　succeeded　in　obtaining　two

good　cows。　　It　is　enough　to　say　that　this　change　of　diet　soon　completely

re…established　their　health；　and　made　Marie　more　beautiful　than　she　had

ever　been　before。



Having　got　the　oxen；　the　next　thing　was　to　break　them　to　the　yoke；　for；

although　docile　creatures　enough；　they　had　never　even　seen　a　wagon。　

This　proved　a　long　and　difficult　process；　involving　many　trial　trips；

moreover；　the　selected　wagons；　one　of　which　had　belonged　to　Pereira；

must　be　mended　with　very　insufficient　tools　and　without　the　help　of　a

forge。　　Indeed；　had　it　not　chanced　that　Hans；　the　Hottentot；　had　worked

for　a　wagon…maker　at　some　indefinite　period　of　his　career；　I　do　not

think　that　we　could　have　managed　the　job　at　all。



It　was　while　we　were　busy　with　these　tasks　that　some　news　arrived　which

was　unpleasing　enough　to　everyone；　except　perhaps　to　Henri　Marais。　　I

was　engaged　on　a　certain　evening　in　trying　to　make　sixteen　of　the　Kaffir

cattle　pull　together　in　the　yoke；　instead　of　tying　themselves　into　a

double　knot　and　over…setting　the　wagon；　when　Hans；　who　was　helping　me；

suddenly　called　out：



〃Look！　baas；　here　comes　one　of　my　brothers；〃　or；　in　other　words；　a

Hottentot。



Following　the　line　of　his　hand；　I　saw　a　thin　and　wretched　creature；　clad

only　in　some　rags　and　the　remains　of　a　big　hat　with　the　crown　out；

staggering　towards　us　between　the　trees。



〃Why！〃　exclaimed　Marie　in　a　startled　voice；　for；　as　usual；　she　was　at　my

side；　〃it　is　Klaus；　one　of　my　cousin　Hernan's　after…riders。〃



〃So　long　as　it　is　not　your　cousin　Hernan　himself；　I　do　not　care；〃　I

said。



Presently　the　poor；　starved　〃Totty〃　arrived；　and　throwing　himself　down；

begged　for　food。　　A　cold　shoulder　of　buck　was　given　to　him；　which　he

devoured；　holding　it　in　both　hands　and　tearing　off　great　lumps　of　flesh

with　his　teeth　like　a　wild　beast。



When　at　last　he　was　satisfied；　Marais；　who　had　come　up　with　the　other

Boers；　asked　him　whence　he　came　and　what　was　his　news　of　his　master。



〃Out　of　the　bush；〃　he　answered；　〃and　my　news　of　the　baas　is　that　he　is

dead。　　At　least；　I　left　him　so　ill　that　I　suppose　he　must　be　dead　by

now。〃



〃Why　did　you　leave　him　if　he　was　ill？〃　asked　Marais。



〃Because　he　told　me　to；　baas；　that　I　might　find　help；　for　we　were

starving；　having　fired　our　last　bullet。〃



〃Is　he　alone；　then？〃



〃Yes；　yes；　except　for　the　wild　beasts　and　the　vultures。　　A　lion　ate　the

other　man；　his　servant；　a　long　while　ago。〃



〃How　far　is　he　off？〃　asked　Marais　again。



〃Oh；　baas；　about　five　hours'　journey　on　horseback　on　a　good　road。〃　（This

would　be　some　thirty…five　miles。）



Then　he　told　this　story：　Pereira　with　his　two　Hottentot　servants；　he

mounted　and　they　on　foot；　had　traversed　about　a　hundred　miles　of　rough

country　in　safety；　when　at　night　a　lion　killed　and　carried　off　one　of

the　Hottentots；　and　frightened　away　the　horse；　which　was　never　seen

again。　　Pereira　and　Klaus　proceeded　on　foot　till　they　came　to　a　great

river；　on　the　banks　of　which　they　met　some　Kaffirs；　who　appear　to　have

been　Zulus　on　outpost　duty。　　These　men　demanded　their　guns　and

ammunition　to　take　to　their　king；　and；　on　Pereira　refusing　to　give　them

up；　said　that　they　would　kill　them　both　in　the　morning　after　they　had

made　him　instruct　them　in　the　use　of　the　guns　by　beating　him　with

sticks。



In　the　night　a　storm　came　on；　under　cover　of　which　Pereira　and　Klaus

escaped。　　As　they　dared　not　go　forward　for　fear　lest　they　should　fall

into　the　hands　of　the　Zulus；　they　fled　back　northwards；　running　all

night；　only　to　find　in　the　morning　that　they　had　lost　their　way　in　the

bush。　　This　had　happened　nearly　a　month　beforeor；　at　any　rate；　Klaus

thought　so；　for　no　doubt　the　days　went　very　slowlyduring　which　time

they　had　wandered　about；　trying　to　shape　some　sort　of　course　by　the　sun

with　the　object　of　returning　to　the　camp。　　They　met　no　man；　black　or

white；　and　supported　themselves　upon　game；　which　they　shot　and　ate　raw

or　sun…dried；　till　at　length　all　their　powder　was　done　and　they　threw

away　their　heavy　roers；　which　they　could　no　longer　carry。



It　was　at　this　juncture　that　from　the　top　of　a　tall　tree　Klaus　saw　a

certain　koppie　a　long　way　off；　which　he　recognised　as　being　within

fifteen　miles　or　so　of　Marais's　camp。　　By　now　they　were　starving；　only

Klaus　was　the　stronger　of　the　two；　for　he　found　and　devoured　some

carrion；　a　dead　hyena　I　think　it　was。　　Pereira　also　tried　to　eat　this

horrible　food；　but；　not　having　the　stomach　of　a　Hottentot；　the　first

mouthful　of　it　made　him　dreadfully　ill。　　They　sought　shelter　in　a　cave

on　the　bank　of　a　stream；　where　grew　water…cresses　and　other　herbs；　such

as　wild　asparagus。　　Here　it　was　that　Pereira　told　Klaus　to　try　to　make

his　way　back　to　the　camp；　and；　should　he　find　anyone　alive　there；　to

bring　him　succour。



So　Klaus　went；　taking　the　remaining　leg　of　the　hyena　with　him；　and　on

the　afternoon　of　the　second　day　arrived　as　has　been　told。







CHAPTER　X