marie-第26章

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the　moon；　being　full；　would　be　up　presently。



The　sun　sank；　and　the　kloof　was　plunged　in　gloom。　　The　place　seemed

eerie　and　lonesome；　and　suddenly　I　grew　afraid。　　I　began　to　wonder　where

Pereira　was；　and　what　he　might　be　doing。　　I　even　thought　of　turning　back

and　finding　some　way　round；　only　having　explored　all　this　district

pretty　thoroughly　in　my　various　shooting　expeditions　from　the　camp；　I

knew　there　was　no　practicable　path　across　those　hills。　　So　I　went　on

with　my　rifle　at　full　cock；　whistling　to　keep　up　my　courage；　which；　of

course；　in　the　circumstances　was　a　foolish　thing　to　do。　　It　occurred　to

me　at　the　time　that　it　was　foolish；　but；　in　truth；　I　would　not　give　way

to　the　dark　suspicions　which　crossed　my　mind。　　Doubtless　by　now　Pereira

had　passed　me　and　reached　the　outspan。



The　moon　began　to　shinethat　wonderful　African　moon；　which　turns　night

to　daythrowing　a　network　of　long；　black　shadows　of　trees　and　rocks

across　the　game　track　I　was　following。　　Right　ahead　of　me　was　a

particularly　dark　patch　of　this　shadow；　caused　by　a　projecting　wall　of

cliff；　and　beyond　it　an　equally　bright　patch　of　moonlight。　　Somehow　I

misdoubted　me　of　that　stretch　of　gloom；　for　although；　of　course；　I　could

see　nothing　there；　my　quick　ear　caught　the　sound　of　movements。



I　halted　for　a　moment。　　Then；　reflecting　that　these　were　doubtless

caused　by　some　night…walking　creature；　which；　even　should　it　chance　to

be　dangerous；　would　flee　at　the　approach　of　man；　I　plunged　into　it

boldly。　　As　I　emerged　at　the　other　endthe　shadow　was　eighteen　or

twenty　paces　longit　occurred　to　me　that　if　any　enemy　were　lurking

there；　I　should　be　an　easy　target　as　I　entered　the　line　of　clear　light。　

So；　almost　instinctively；　for　I　do　not　remember　that　I　reasoned　the

thing　out；　after　my　first　two　steps　forward　in　the　light　I　gave　a　little

spring　to　the　left；　where　there　was　still　shadow；　although　it　was　not

deep。　　Well　was　it　for　me　that　I　did　so；　for　at　that　moment　I　felt

something　touch　my　cheek　and　heard　the　loud　report　of　a　gun　immediately

behind　me。



Now；　the　wisest　course　would　have　been　for　me　to　run　before　whoever　had

fired　found　time　to　reload。　　But　a　kind　of　fury　seized　me；　and　run　I

would　not。　　On　the　contrary；　I　turned　with　a　shout；　and　charged　back

into　the　shadow。　　Something　heard　me　coming；　something　fled　in　front　of

me。　　In　a　few　seconds　we　were　out　into　the　moonlight　beyond；　and；　as　I

expected；　I　saw　that　this　something　was　a　manPereira！



He　halted　and　wheeled　round；　lifting　the　stock　of　his　gun；　club　fashion。



〃Thank　God！　it　is　you；　Heer　Allan；〃　he　said；　〃I　thought　you　were　a

tiger。〃



〃Then　it　is　your　last　thought；　murderer；〃　I　answered；　raising　my　rifle。



〃Don't　shoot；〃　he　said。　　〃Would　you　have　my　blood　upon　you？　　Why　do　you

want　to　kill　me？〃



〃Why　did　you　try　to　kill　me？〃　I　answered；　covering　him。



〃I　try　to　kill　you！　　Are　you　mad？　　Listen；　for　your　own　sake。　　I　sat

down　on　the　bank　yonder　waiting　for　the　moon；　and；　being　tired；　fell

asleep。　　Then　I　woke　up　with　a　start；　and；　thinking　from　the　sounds　that

a　tiger　was　after　me；　fired　to　scare　it。　　Allemachte！　man；　if　I　had

aimed　at　you；　could　I　have　missed　at　that　distance？〃



〃You　did　not　quite　miss；　and　had　I　not　stepped　to　the　left；　you　would

have　blown　my　head　off。　　Say　your　prayers；　you　dog！〃



〃Allan　Quatermain；〃　he　exclaimed　with　desperate　energy；〃　you　think　I

lie；　who　speak　the　truth。　　Kill　me　if　you　will；　only　then　remember　that

you　will　hang　for　it。　　We　court　one　woman；　that　is　known；　and　who　will

believe　this　story　of　yours　that　I　tried　to　shoot　you？　　Soon　the　Kaffirs

will　come　to　look　for　me；　probably　they　are　starting　already；　and　will

find　my　body　with　your　bullet　in　my　heart。　　Then　they　will　take　it　back

to　Marais's　camp；　and　I　saywho　will　believe　your　story？〃



〃Some；　I　think；　murderer；〃　but　as　I　spoke　the　words　a　chill　of　fear

struck　me。　　It　was　true；　I　could　prove　nothing；　having　no　witnesses；　and

henceforward　I　should　be　a　Cain　among　the　Boers；　one　who　had　slain　a　man

for　jealousy。　　His　gun　was　empty；　yes；　but　it　might　be　said　that　I　had

fired　it　after　his　death。　　And　as　for　the　graze　upon　my　cheekwhy；　a

twig　might　have　caused　it。　　What　should　I　do；　then？　　Drive　him　before　me

to　the　camp；　and　tell　this　tale？　　Even　then　it　would　be　but　my　word

against　his。　　No；　he　had　me　in　a　forked　stick。　　I　must　let　him　go；　and

trust　that　Heaven　would　avenge　his　crime；　since　I　could　not。　　Moreover；

by　now　my　first　rage　was　cooling；　and　to　execute　a　man　thus



〃Hernan　Pereira；〃　I　said；　〃you　are　a　liar　and　a　coward。　　You　tried　to

butcher　me　because　Marie　loves　me　and　hates　you；　and　you　want　to　force

her　to　marry　you。　　Yet　I　cannot　shoot　you　down　in　cold　blood　as　you

deserve。　　I　leave　it　to　God　to　punish　you；　as；　soon　or　late；　He　will；

here　or　hereafter；　you　who　thought　to　slaughter　me　and　trust　to　the

hyenas　to　hide　your　crime；　as　they　would　have　done　before　morning。　　Get

you　gone　before　I　change　my　mind；　and　be　swift。〃



Without　another　word　he　turned　and　ran　swiftly　as　a　buck；　leaping　from

side　to　side　as　he　ran；　to　disturb　my　aim　in　case　I　should　shoot。



When　he　was　a　hundred　yards　away　or　more　I；　too；　turned　and　ran；　never

feeling　safe　till　I　knew　there　was　a　mile　of　ground　between　us。





It　was　past　ten　o'clock　that　night　when　I　got　back　to　the　camp；　where　I

found　Hans　the　Hottentot　about　to　start　to　look　for　me；　with　two　of　the

Zulus；　and　told　him　that　I　had　been　detained　by　accidents　to　the　wagon。　

The　Vrouw　Prinsloo　was　still　up　also；　waiting　to　hear　of　my　arrival。



〃What　was　the　accident；　Allan？〃　she　asked。　　〃It　looks　as　though　there

had　been　a　bullet　in　it；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　bloody　smear　upon　my

cheek。



I　nodded。



〃Pereira's？〃　she　asked　again。



I　nodded　a　second　time。



〃Did　you　kill　him？〃



〃No；　I　let　him　go。　　It　would　have　been　said　that　I　murdered　him；〃　and　I

told　her　what　had　happened。



〃Ja；　Allan；〃　she　remarked　when　I　had　finished。　　〃I　think　you　were　wise；

for　you　could　have　proved　nothing。　　But　oh！　for　what　fate；　I　wonder；　is

God　Almighty　saving　up　that　stinkcat。　　Well；　I　will　go　and　tell　Marie

that　you　are　back　safe；　for　her　father　won't　let　her　out　of　the　hut　so

late；　but　nothing　more　unless　you　wish　it。〃



〃No；　Tante；　I　think　nothing　more；　at　any　rate　at　present。〃



Here　I　may　state；　however；　that　within　a　few　days　Marie　and　everyone

else　in　the　camp　knew　the　story　in　detail；　except　perhaps　Marais；　to

whom　no　one　spoke　of　his　nephew。　　Evidently　Vrouw　Prinsloo　had　found

herself　unable　to　keep　secret　such　an　example　of　the　villainy　of　her

aversion；　Pereira。　　So　she　told　her　daughter；　who　told　the　others

quickly　enough；　though　I　gathered　that　some　of　them　set　down　what　had

happened　to　accident。　　Bad　as　they　knew　Pereira　to　be；　they　could　not

believe　that　he　was　guilty　of　so　black　a　crime。



About　a　week　later　the　rest　of　us　started　from　Marais's　camp；　a　place

that；　notwithstanding　the　sadness　of　many　of　its　associations；　I　confess

I　left　with　some　regret。　　The　trek　before　us；　although　not　so　very　long；

was　of　an　extremely　perilous　nature。　　We　had　to　pass　through　about　two

hundred　miles　of　country　of　which　all　we　knew　was　that　its　inhabitants

were　the　Amatonga　and　other　savage　tribes。　　Here　I　should　explain　that

after　much　discussion　we　had　abandoned　the　idea　of　retracing　the　route

followed　by　Marais　on　his　ill…fated　journey　towards　Delagoa。



Had　we　taken　this　it　would　have　involved　our　crossing　the　terrible

Lobombo　Mountains；　over　which　it　was　doubtful　whether　our　light　cattle

could　drag　the　wagons。　　Moreover；　the　country　beyond　the　mountains　was

said　to　be　very　bare　of　game　and　also　of　Kaffirs；　so　that　food　might　be

lacking。　　On　the　other　hand；　if　we　kept　to　the　east　of　the　mountains　the

veld　through　which　we　must　pass　was　thickly　populated；　which　meant　that

in　all　probability　we　could　buy　grain。



What　finally　decided　us　to　adopt　this　route；　however；　was　that　here　in

these　warm；　low…lying　lands　there　would　be　grass　for　the　oxen。　　Indeed；

now；　at　the　beginning　of　spring；　in　this　part　of　Africa　it　was　already

pushing。　　Even　if　it　were　not；　the　beasts　could　live　upon　what　herbage

remained　over　from　last　summer　and　on　the　leaves　of　trees；　neither　of

which　in　this　winter　veld　ever　become　quite　lifeless；　whereas　on　the

sere　and　fire…swept　plains　beyond　the　mountains　they　might　find　nothing

at　all。　　So　we　determined　to　risk　the　savages　and　the　lions　which

followed　the　game　into　these　hot　districts；　especially　as　it　was　not　yet

the　fever　season　or　that　of　the　heavy　rains；　so　that　the　rivers　would　be

fordable。



I　do　not　propose　to　set　out　our　adventures　in　detail；　for　these　would　be

too　long。　　Until　the　great　one　of　which　I　shall　have　to　tell　presently；

they　were　of　an　annoying　rather　than　of　a　serious　nature。　　Travelling　as

we　did；　between　the　mountains　and　the　sea；　we　could　not　well　lose　our

way；　especially　as　my　Zulus　had　passed　through　that　country；　and　when

their　knowledge　failed　us；　we　generally　managed　to　secure　the　services

of　local　guides。　　The　roads；　however；　or　rather　the　game　tracks　and

Kaffir　paths　which　we　followed；　were　terrible；　for　with　the　single

exception　of　that　of　Pereira　for　part　of　the　distance；　no　wagon　had　ever

gone　over　them　before。　　Indeed；　a　little　later　in　the　year　they　could

not　have　been　travelled　at　all。　　Sometimes　we　stuck　in　bogs　out　of　which

we　had　to　dig　the　wheels；　and　sometimes　in　the　rocky　bottoms　of　streams；

while　once　we　were　obliged　literally　to　cut　our　way　through　a　belt　of

dense　bush　from　which　it　took　us　eight　days　to　escape。



Our　other　chief　trouble　came　from　the　lions；　whereof　there　were　great

numbers　in　this　veld。　　The　prevalence　of　these　hungry　beasts　forced　us

to　watch　our　cattle　very　closely　while　they　grazed；　and　at　night；

wherever　it　was　possible；　to　protect　them　and　ourselves　in　〃bombast；〃　or

fences　of　thorns；　within　which　we　lit　fires　to　scare　away　wild　beasts。　

Notwithstanding　these　precautions；　we　lost　several　of　the　oxen；　and

ourselves　had　some　narrow　escapes。



Thus；　one　night；　just　as　Marie　was　about　to　enter　the　wagon　where　the

women　slept；　a　great　lion；　desperate　with　hunger；　sprang　over　the　fence。

　She　leapt　away　from　the　beast；　and　in　so　doing　caught　her　foot　and　fell

down；　whereon　the　lion　came　for　her。　　In　another　few　seconds　she　would

have　been　dead；　or　carried　off　living。



But　as　it　chanced；　Vrouw　Prinsloo　was　close　at　hand。　　Seizing　a　flaming

bough　from　the　fire；　that　intrepid　woman　ran　at　the　lion　and；　as　it

opened　its　huge　mouth　to　roar　or　bite；　thrust　the　burning　end　of　the

bough　into　its　throat。　　The　lion　closed　its　jaws　upon　it；　then　finding

the　mouthful　not　to　its　taste；　departed　even　more　quickly　than　it　had

come；　uttering　the　most　dreadful　noises；　and　leaving　Marie　quite　unhurt。

　Needless　to　say；　after　this　I　really　worshipped　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；

though　she；