marie-第25章

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sickly　ox；　nothing　had　gone　wrong。　　When　at　length　he　had　ended　his　long

story；　I　ate　some　food　which　Marie　sent　over　for　me　ready　cooked；　for　I

was　too　tired　to　join　any　of　the　Boers　that　night。　　Just　as　I　had

finished　my　meal　and　was　thinking　of　turning　in；　Marie　herself　appeared

within　the　circle　of　the　camp…fire's　light。　　I　sprang　up　and　ran　to　her；

saying　that　I　had　not　expected　to　see　her　that　evening；　and　did　not　like

to　come　to　the　house。



〃No；〃　she　answered；　drawing　me　back　into　the　shadows；　〃I　understand。　　My

father　seems　very　much　upset；　almost　mad；　indeed。　　If　the　Vrouw

Prinsloo's　tongue　had　been　a　snake's　fang；　it　could　not　have　stung　him

worse。〃



〃And　where　is　Pereira？〃　I　asked。



〃Oh！　my　cousin　sleeps　in　the　other　room。　　He　is　weak　and　worn　out。　　All

the　same；　Allan；　he　wanted　to　kiss　me。　　So　I　told　him　at　once　how

matters　stood　between　you　and　me；　and　that　we　were　to　be　married　in　six

months。〃



〃What　did　he　say　to　that？〃　I　asked。



〃He　turned　to　my　father　and　said：　'Is　this　true；　my　uncle？'　And　my

father　answered：　'Yes；　that　is　the　best　bargain　I　could　make　with　the

Englishman；　seeing　that　you　were　not　here　to　make　a　better。'〃



〃And　what　happened　then；　Marie？〃



〃Oh；　then　Hernan　thought　a　while。　　At　last　he　looked　up　and　said：　'I

understand。　　Things　have　gone　badly。　　I　acted　for　the　best；　who　went

away　to　try　to　find　help　for　all　of　you。　　I　failed。　　Meanwhile　the

Englishman　came　and　saved　you。　　Afterwards　he　saved　me　also。　　Uncle；　in

all　this　I　see　God's　hand；　had　it　not　been　for　this　Allan　none　of　us

would　be　alive。　　Yes；　God　used　him　that　we　might　be　kept　alive。　　Well；

he　has　promised　that　he　will　not　marry　Marie　for　six　months。　　And　you

know；　my　uncle；　that　some　of　these　English　are　great　fools；　they　keep

their　promises　even　to　their　own　loss。　　Now；　in　six　months　much　may

happen；　who　knows　what　will　happen？'〃



〃Were　you　present　when　you　heard　all　this；　Marie？〃　I　asked。



〃No；　Allan；　I　was　the　other　side　of　the　reed　partition。　　But　at　those

words　I　entered　and　said：　'My　father　and　Cousin　Hernan；　please

understand　that　there　is　one　thing　which　will　never　happen。'



〃'What　is　that？'　asked　my　cousin。



〃'It　will　never　happen　that　I　shall　marry　you；　Hernan；'　I　replied。



〃'Who　knows；　Marie；　who　knows？'　he　said。



〃'I　do；　Hernan；'　I　answered。　　'Even　if　Allan　were　to　die　to…morrow；　I

would　not　marry　you；　either　then　or　twenty　years　hence。　　I　am　glad　that

he　has　saved　your　life；　but　henceforth　we　are　cousins；　nothing　more。'



〃'You　hear　what　the　girl　tells　us；'　said　my　father；　'why　do　you　not　give

up　the　business？　　What　is　the　use　of　kicking　against　the　pricks？'



〃'If　one　wears　stout　boots　and　kicks　hard　enough；　the　pricks　give　way；'

said　Hernan。　　'Six　months　is　a　long　time；　my　uncle。'



〃'It　may　be　so；　cousin；'　I　said；　'but　remember　that　neither　six　months

nor　six　years；　nor　six　thousand　years；　are　long　enough　to　make　me　marry

any　man　except　Allan　Quatermain；　who　has　just　rescued　you　from　death。　

Do　you　understand？'



〃'Yes；'　he　replied；　'I　understand　that　you　will　not　marry　me。　　Only　then

I　promise　that　you　shall　not　marry　either　Allan　Quatermain　or　any　other

man。'



〃'God　will　decide　that；'　I　answered；　and　came　away；　leaving　him　and　my

father　together。　　And　now；　Allan；　tell　me　all　that　has　happened　since　we

parted。〃



So　I　told　her　everything；　including　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo's　advice。



〃Of　course；　Allan；　you　were　quite　right；〃　she　remarked　when　I　had

finished；　〃but　I　am　not　sure　that　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　was　not　also　right

in　her　own　fashion。　　I　am　afraid　of　my　cousin　Hernan；　who　holds　my

father　in　his　handfast；　fast。　　Still；　we　have　promised；　and　must　keep

our　word。〃







CHAPTER　XI









THE　SHOT　IN　THE　KLOOF











I　think　it　was　about　three　weeks　after　these　events　that　we　began　our

southward　trek。　　On　the　morning　subsequent　to　our　arrival　at　Marais's

camp；　Pereira　came　up　to　me　when　several　people　were　present；　and；

taking　my　hand；　thanked　me　in　a　loud　voice　for　having　saved　his　life。　

Thenceforward；　he　declared；　I　should　be　dearer　to　him　than　a　brother；

for　was　there　not　a　blood　bond　between　us？



I　answered　I　did　not　think　any　such　bond　existed；　indeed；　I　was　not　sure

what　it　meant。　　I　had　done　my　duty　by　him；　neither　less　nor　more；　and

there　was　nothing　further　to　be　said。



It　turned　out；　however；　that　there　was　a　great　deal　further　to　be　said；

since　Pereira　desired　to　borrow　money；　or；　rather；　goods；　from　me。　　He

explained　that　owing　to　the　prejudices　of　the　vulgar　Boers　who　remained

alive　in　that　camp；　and　especially　of　the　scandalous…tongued　Vrouw

Prinsloo；　both　he　and　his　uncle　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　it　would

be　wise　for　him　to　remove　himself　as　soon　as　possible。　　Therefore　he

proposed　to　trek　away　alone。



I　answered　that　I　should　have　thought　he　had　done　enough　solitary

travelling　in　this　veld；　seeing　how　his　last　expedition　had　ended。　　He

replied　that　he　had；　indeed；　but　everyone　here　was　so　bitter　against　him

that　no　choice　was　left。　　Then　he　added　with　an　outburst　of　truth：



〃Allemachte！　Mynheer　Quatermain；　do　you　suppose　that　it　is　pleasant　for

me　to　see　you　making　love　all　day　to　the　maid　who　was　my　betrothed；　and

to　see　her　paying　back　the　love　with　her　eyes？　　Yes；　and　doubtless　with

her　lips；　too；　from　all　I　hear。〃



〃You　could　leave　her　whom　you　called　your　betrothed；　but　who　never　was

betrothed　to　anyone　but　me　with　her　own　will；　to　starve　in　the　veld；

mynheer。　　Why；　then；　should　you　be　angry　because　I　picked　up　that　which

you　threw　away；　that；　too；　which　was　always　my　own　and　not　yours？　　Had

it　not　been　for　me；　there　would　now　be　no　maid　left　for　us　to　quarrel

over；　as；　had　it　not　been　for　me；　there　would　be　no　man　left　for　me　to

quarrel　with　about　the　maid。〃



〃Are　you　God；　then；　Englishman；　that　you　dispose　of　the　lives　of　men　and

women　at　your　will？　　It　was　He　Who　saved　us；　not　you。〃



〃He　may　have　saved　you；　but　it　was　through　me。　　I　carried　out　the　rescue

of　these　poor　people　whom　you　deserted；　and　I　nursed　you　back　to　life。〃



〃I　did　not　desert　them；　I　went　to　get　help　for　them。〃



〃Taking　all　the　powder　and　the　only　horse　with　you！　　Well；　that　is　done

with；　and　now　you　want　to　borrow　goods　to　pay　for　cattlefrom　me；　whom

you　hate。　　You　are　not　proud；　Mynheer　Pereira；　when　you　have　an　end　to

serve；　whatever　that　end　may　be；〃　and　I　looked　at　him。　　My　instinct

warned　me　against　this　false　and　treacherous　man；　who；　I　felt；　was　even

then　plotting　in　his　heart　to　bring　some　evil　upon　me。



〃No；　I　am　not　proud。　　Why　should　I　be；　seeing　that　I　mean　to　repay　you

twice　over　for　anything　which　you　may　lend　me　now？〃



I　reflected　a　while。　　Certainly　our　journey　to　Natal　would　be　pleasanter

if　Pereira　were　not　of　the　company。　　Also；　if　he　went　with　us；　I　was

sure　that　before　we　came　to　the　end　of　that　trek；　one　or　other　of　us

would　leave　his　bones　on　the　road。　　In　short；　not　to　put　too　fine　a

point　on　it；　I　feared　lest　in　this　way　or　in　that　he　would　bring　me　to

my　death　in　order　that　he　might　possess　himself　of　Marie。　　We　were　in　a

wild　country；　with　few　witnesses　and　no　law　courts；　where　such　deeds

might　be　done　again　and　again　and　the　doer　never　called　to　account　for

lack　of　evidence　and　judges。



So　I　made　up　my　mind　to　fall　in　with　his　wishes；　and　we　began　to

bargain。　　The　end　of　it　was　that　I　advanced　him　enough　of　my　remaining

goods　to　buy　the　cattle　he　required　from　the　surrounding　natives。　　It

was　no　great　quantity；　after　all；　seeing　that　in　this　uncivilised　place

an　ox　could　be　purchased　for　a　few　strings　of　beads　or　a　cheap　knife。　

Further；　I　sold　him　a　few　of　the　beasts　that　I　had　broken；　a　gun；　some

ammunition　and　certain　other　necessaries；　for　all　of　which　things　he

gave　me　a　note　of　hand　written　in　my　pocket…book。　　Indeed；　I　did　more；

for　as　none　of　the　Boers　would　help　him　I　assisted　Pereira　to　break　in

the　cattle　he　bought；　and　even　consented　when　he　asked　me　to　give　him

the　services　of　two　of　the　Zulus　whom　I　had　hired。



All　these　preparations　took　a　long　while。　　If　I　remember　right；　twelve

more　days　had　gone　by　before　Pereira　finally　trekked　off　from　Marais's

camp；　by　which　time　he　was　quite　well　and　strong　again。



We　all　assembled　to　see　the　start；　and　Marais　offered　up　a　prayer　for

his　nephew's　safe　journey　and　our　happy　meeting　again　in　Natal　at　the

laager　of　Retief；　which　was　to　be　our　rendezvous；　if　that　leader　were

still　in　Natal。　　No　one　else　joined　in　the　prayer。　　Only　Vrouw　Prinsloo

audibly　added　another　of　her　own。　　It　was　to　the　effect　that　he　might

not　come　back　a　second　time；　and　that　she　might　never　see　his　face

again；　either　at　Retief's　laager　or　anywhere　else；　if　it　would　please

the　good　Lord　so　to　arrange　matters。



The　Boers　tittered；　even　the　Meyer　children　tittered；　for　by　this　time

the　hatred　of　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　for　Hernan　Pereira　was　the　joke　of　the

place。　　But　Pereira　himself　pretended　not　to　hear；　said　good…bye　to　us

all　affectionately；　adding　a　special　petition　for　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；

and　off　we　went。



I　say　〃we　went〃　because　with　my　usual　luck；　to　help　him　with　the

half…broken　oxen；　I　was　commandeered　to　accompany　this　man　to　his　first

outspan；　a　place　with　good　water　about　twelve　miles　from　the　camp；　where

he　proposed　to　remain　for　the　night。



Now；　as　we　started　about　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　the　veld　was

fairly　level；　I　expected　that　we　should　reach　this　outspan　by　three　or

four　in　the　afternoon；　which　would　give　me　time　to　walk　back　before

sunset。　　In　fact；　however；　so　many　accidents　happened　of　one　sort　or

another；　both　to　the　wagon　itself；　of　which　the　woodwork　had　shrunk　with

long　standing　in　the　sun；　and　to　the　cattle；　which；　being　unused　to　the

yoke；　tied　themselves　in　a　double　knot　upon　every　opportunity；　that　we

only　arrived　there　at　the　approach　of　night。



The　last　mile　of　that　trek　was　through　a　narrow　gorge　cut　out　by　water

in　the　native　rock。　　Here　trees　grew　sparsely；　also　great　ferns；　but　the

bottom　of　the　gorge；　along　which　game　were　accustomed　to　travel；　was

smooth　enough　for　wagons；　save　for　a　few　fallen　boulders；　which　it　was

necessary　to　avoid。



When　at　length　we　reached　the　outspan　I　asked　the　Hottentot；　Klaus；　who

was　assisting　me　to　drive　the　team；　where　his　master　was；　for　I　could

not　see　him　anywhere。　　He　answered　that　he　had　gone　back　down　the　kloof

to　look　for　something　that　had　fallen　from　the　wagon；　a　bolt　I　think　he

said。



〃Very　good；〃　I　replied。　　〃Then　tell　him；　if　we　do　not　meet；　that　I　have

returned　to　the　camp。〃



As　I　set　out　the　sun　was　sinking　below　the　horizon；　but　this　did　not

trouble　me　overmuch；　as　I　had　a　rifle　with　me；　that　same　light　rifle

with　which　I　had　shot　the　geese　in　the　great　match。　　Also　I　knew　that

the　moon；　being　full；　would　be　up　presently。



The　sun　sank；　and　the　kloof　w