marie-第33章

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his　head　and　went　on：　〃Well；　a　bet　is　a　bet；　and　therefore　I　will　not

wipe　out　this　handful；　as　otherwise　I　would　have　done　at　once。　　Tell　the

old　cow　of　a　chieftainess　that；　notwithstanding　her　threats；　I　stick　to

my　promise。　　If　the　little　Son　of　George；　Macumazahn；　can　shoot　three

vultures　out　of　five　by　help　of　his　magic；　then　she　and　her　servants

shall　go　free。　　If　not；　the　vultures　which　he　has　missed　shall　feed　on

them；　and　afterwards　I　will　talk　with　her　people　when　they　come　to

avenge　her。　　Now；　enough　of　this　indaba。　　Bring　those　evildoers　here

that　they　may　thank　and　praise　me；　who　give　them　so　merciful　an　end。〃



So　the　grandfather；　the　father；　and　the　son　were　hustled　before　Dingaan

by　the　soldiers；　and　greeted　him　with　the　royal　salute　of　〃bayete。〃



〃O　king；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃I　and　my　children　are　innocent。　　Yet　if　it

pleases　you；　O　king；　I　am　ready　to　die；　and　so　is　my　son。　　Yet　we　pray

you　to　spare　the　little　one。　　He　is　but　a　boy；　who　may　grow　up　to　do　you

good　service；　as　I　have　done　to　you　and　your　House　for　many　years。〃



〃Be　silent；　you　white…headed　dog！〃　answered　Dingaan　fiercely。　　〃This　lad

is　a　wizard；　like　the　rest　of　you；　and　would　grow　up　to　bewitch　me　and

to　plot　with　my　enemies。　　Know　that　I　have　stamped　out　all　your　family；

and　shall　I　then　leave　him　to　breed　another　that　would　hate　me？　　Begone

to　the　World　of　Spirits；　and　tell　them　how　Dingaan　deals　with

sorcerers。〃



The　old　man　tried　to　speak　again；　for　evidently　he　loved　this　grandchild

of　his；　but　a　soldier　struck　him　in　the　face；　and　Dingaan　shouted：



〃What！　　Are　you　not　satisfied？　　I　　tell　you　that　if　you　say　more　I　will

force　you　to　kill　the　boy　with　your　own　hand。　　Take　them　away。〃



Then　I　turned　and　hid　my　face；　as　did　all　the　white　folk。　　Presently　I

heard　the　old　man；　whom　they　had　saved　to　the　last　that　he　might　witness

the　deaths　of　his　descendants；　cry　in　a　loud　voice：



〃On　the　night　of　the　thirtieth　full　moon　from　this　day　I；　the

far…sighted；　I；　the　prophet；　summon　thee；　Dingaan；　to　meet　me　and　mine

in　the　Land　of　Ghosts；　and　there　to　pay〃



Then　with　a　roar　of　horror　the　executioners　fell　on　him　and　he　died。　

When　there　was　silence　I　looked　up；　and　saw　that　the　king；　who　had

turned　a　dirty　yellow　hue　with　fright；　for　he　was　very　superstitious；

was　trembling　and　wiping　the　sweat　from　his　brow。



〃You　should　have　kept　the　wizard　alive；〃　he　said　in　a　shaky　voice　to　the

head　slayer；　who　was　engaged　in　cutting　three　more　nicks　on　the　handle

of　his　dreadful　kerry。　　〃Fool；　I　would　have　heard　the　rest　of　his　lying

message。〃



The　man　answered　humbly　that　he　thought　it　best　it　should　remain

unspoken；　and　got　himself　out　of　sight　as　soon　as　possible。　　Here　I　may

remark　that　by　an　odd　coincidence　Dingaan　actually　was　killed　about

thirty　moons　from　that　time。　　Mopo；　his　general；　who　slew　his　brother

Chaka；　slew　him　also　with　the　help　of　Umslopogaas；　the　son　of　Chaka。　　In

after　years　Umslopogaas　told　me　the　story　of　the　dreadful　ghost…haunted

death　of　this　tyrant；　but；　of　course；　he　could　not　tell　me　exactly　upon

what　day　it　happened。　　Therefore　I　do　not　know　whether　the　prophecy　was

strictly　accurate。*



＇*For　the　history　of　the　death　of　Dingaan；　see　the　Author's　〃Nada　the

Lily。〃＇



The　three　victims　lay　dead　in　the　hollow　of　the　Hill　of　Death。　

Presently　the　king；　recovering　himself；　gave　orders　that　the　spectators

should　be　moved　back　to　places　where　they　could　see　what　happened

without　frightening　the　vultures。　　So　the　Boers；　attended　by　their　band

of　soldiers；　who　were　commanded　to　slay　them　at　once　if　they　attempted

to　escape；　went　one　way；　and　Dingaan　and　his　Zulus　went　the　other；

leaving　Hans　and　myself　alone　behind　our　bush。　　As　the　white　people

passed　me；　Vrouw　Prinsloo　wished　me　good　luck　in　a　cheerful　voice；

although　I　could　see　that　her　poor　old　hand　was　shaking；　and　she　was

wiping　her　eyes　with　the　vatdoek。　　Henri　Marais；　also　in　broken　tones；

implored　me　to　shoot　straight　for　his　daughter's　sake。　　Then　came　Marie；

pale　but　resolute；　who　said　nothing；　but　only　looked　me　in　the　eyes；　and

touched　the　pocket　of　her　dress；　in　which　I　knew　the　pistol　lay　hid。　　Of

the　rest　of　them　I　took　no　notice。



The　moment；　that　dreadful　moment　of　trial；　had　come　at　last；　and　oh！　the

suspense　and　the　waiting　were　hard　to　bear。　　It　seemed　an　age　before　the

first　speck；　that　I　knew　to　be　a　vulture；　appeared　thousands　of　feet

above　me　and　began　to　descend　in　wide　circles。



〃Oh；　baas；〃　said　poor　Hans；　〃this　is　worse　than　shooting　at　the　geese　in

the　Groote　Kloof。　　Then　you　could　only　lose　your　horse；　but　now〃



〃Be　silent；〃　I　hissed；　〃and　give　me　the　rifle。〃



The　vulture　wheeled　and　sank；　sank　and　wheeled。　　I　glanced　towards　the

Boers；　and　saw　that　they　were　all　of　them　on　their　knees。　　I　glanced

towards　the　Zulus；　and　saw　that　they　were　watching　as；　I　think；　they　had

never　watched　anything　before；　for　to　them　this　was　a　new　excitement。　

Then　I　fixed　my　eyes　upon　the　bird。



Its　last　circle　was　accomplished。　　Before　it　pounced　it　hung　on　wide；

outstretched　wings；　as　the　others　had　done；　its　head　towards　me。　　I　drew

a　deep　breath；　lifted　the　rifle；　got　the　foresight　dead　upon　its　breast；

and　touched　the　hair…trigger。　　As　the　charge　exploded　I　saw　the　aasvogel

give　a　kind　of　backward　twist。　　Next　instant　I　heard　a　loud　clap；　and　a

surge　of　joy　went　through　me；　for　I　thought　that　the　bullet　had　found

its　billet。　　But　alas！　it　was　not　so。



The　clap　was　that　of　the　air　disturbed　by　the　passing　of　the　ball　and

the　striking　of　this　air　against　the　stiff　feathers　of　the　wings。　

Anyone　who　has　shot　at　great　birds　on　the　wing　with　a　bullet　will　be

acquainted　with　the　sound。　　Instead　of　falling　the　vulture　recovered

itself。　　Not　knowing　the　meaning　of　this　unaccustomed　noise；　it　dropped

quietly　to　earth　and　sat　down　near　the　bodies；　pitching　forward　in　the

natural　way　and　running　a　few　paces；　as　the　others　had　done　that

afternoon。　　Evidently　it　was　quite　unhurt。



〃Missed！〃　gasped　Hans　as　he　grasped　the　rifle　to　load　it。　　〃Oh！　why　did

you　not　throw　a　stone　on　to　the　first　heap？〃



I　gave　Hans　a　look　that　must　have　frightened　him；　at　any　rate；　he　spoke

no　more。　　From　the　Boers　went　up　a　low　groan。　　Then　they　began　to　pray

harder　than　ever；　while　the　Zulus　clustered　round　the　king　and　whispered

to　him。　　I　learned　afterwards　that　he　was　giving　heavy　odds　against　me；

ten　to　one　in　cattle；　which　they　were　obliged　to　take；　unwillingly

enough。



Hans　finished　loading；　capped　and　cocked　the　rifle；　and　handed　it　to　me。

　By　now　other　vultures　were　appearing。　　Being　desperately　anxious　to　get

the　thing　over　one　way　or　another；　at　the　proper　moment　I　took　the　first

of　them。　　Again　I　covered　it　dead　and　pressed。　　Again　as　the　gun

exploded　I　saw　that　backward　lurch　of　the　bird；　and　heard　the　clap　of

the　air　upon　its　wings。　　Thenoh　horror！this　aasvogel　turned　quietly；

and　began　to　mount　the　ladder　of　the　sky　in　the　same　fashion　as　it　had

descended。　　I　had　missed　once　more。



〃The　second　heap　of　stones　has　done　this；　baas；〃　said　Hans　faintly；　and

this　time　I　did　not　even　look　him。　　I　only　sat　down　and　buried　my　face

in　my　hands。　　One　more　such　miss；　and　then



Hans　began　to　whisper　to　me。



〃Baas；〃　he　said；　〃those　aasvogels　see　the　flash　of　the　gun；　and　shy　at

it　like　a　horse。　　Baas；　you　are　shooting　into　their　faces；　for　they　all

hang　with　their　beaks　toward　you　before　they　drop。　　You　must　get　behind

them；　and　fire　into　their　tails；　for　even　an　aasvogel　cannot　see　with

its　tail。〃



I　let　fall　my　hands　and　stared　at　him。　　Surely　the　poor　fellow　had　been

inspired　from　on　high！　　I　understood　it　all　now。　　While　their　beaks　were

towards　me；　I　might　fire　at　fifty　vultures　and　never　hit　one；　for　each

time　they　would　swerve　from　the　flash；　causing　the　bullet　to　miss　them；

though　but　by　a　little。



〃Come；〃　I　gasped；　and　began　to　walk　quickly　round　the　edge　of　the

depression　to　a　rock；　which　I　saw　opposite　about　a　hundred　yards　away。　

My　journey　took　me　near　the　Zulus；　who　mocked　me　as　I　passed；　asking

where　my　magic　was；　and　if　I　wished　to　see　the　white　people　killed

presently。　　Dingaan　was　now　offering　odds　of　fifty　cattle　to　one　against

me；　but　no　one　would　take　the　bet　even　with　the　king。



I　made　no　answer；　no；　not　even　when　they　asked　me　〃if　I　had　thrown　down

my　spear　and　was　running　away。〃　　Grimly；　despairingly；　I　marched　on　to

the　rock；　and　took　shelter　behind　it　with　Hans。　　The　Boers；　I　saw；　were

still　upon　their　knees；　but　seemed　to　have　ceased　praying。　　The　children

were　weeping；　the　men　stared　at　each　other；　Vrouw　Prinsloo　had　her　arm

about　Marie's　waist。　　Waiting　there　behind　the　rock；　my　courage　returned

to　me；　as　it　sometimes　does　in　the　last　extremity。　　I　remembered　my

dream　and　took　comfort。　　Surely　God　would　not　be　so　cruel　as　to　suffer

me　to　fail　and　thereby　bring　all　those　poor　people　to　their　deaths。



Snatching　the　rifle　from　Hans；　I　loaded　it　myself；　nothing　must　be

trusted　to　another。　　As　I　put　on　the　cap　a　vulture　made　its　last　circle。

　It　hung　in　the　air　just　as　the　others　had　done；　and　oh！　its　tail　was

towards　me。　　I　lifted；　I　aimed　between　the　gathered…up　legs；　I　pressed

and　shut　my　eyes；　for　I　did　not　dare　to　look。



I　heard　the　bullet　strike；　or　seem　to　strike；　and　a　few　seconds　later　I

heard　something　elsethe　noise　of　a　heavy　thud　upon　the　ground。　　I

looked；　and　there　with　outstretched　wings　lay　the　foul　bird　dead；　stone

dead；　eight　or　ten　paces　from　the　bodies。



〃Allemachte！　that's　better；〃　said　Hans。　　〃You　threw　stones　on　to　_all_

the　other　heaps；　didn't　you；　baas？〃



The　Zulus　grew　excited；　and　the　odds　went　down　a　little。　　The　Boers

stretched　out　their　white　faces　and　stared　at　me；　I　saw　them　out　of　the

corner　of　my　eye　as　I　loaded　again。　　Another　vulture　came；　seeing　one　of

its　companions　on　the　ground；　if　in　a　somewhat　unnatural　attitude；

perhaps　it　thought　that　there　could　be　nothing　to　fear。　　I　leaned

against　my　rock；　aimed；　and　fired；　almost　carelessly；　so　sure　was　I　of

the　result。　　This　time　I　did　not　shut　my　eyes；　but　watched　to　see　what

happened。



The　bullet　struck　the　bird　between　its　thighs；　raked　it　from　end　to　end；

and　down　it　came　like　a　stone　almost　upon　the　top　of　its　fellow。



〃Good；　good！〃　said　Hans　with　a　guttural　chuckle　of　delight。　　〃Now；　baas；

make　no　mistake　with　the　third；　and　'als　sall　recht　kommen'　（all　shall

be　well）。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃_if_　I　make　no　mistake　with　the　third。〃



I　loaded　the　rifle　again　myself；　being　very　careful　to　ram　down　the

powder　well　and　to　select　a　bullet　that　fitted　perfectly　true　to　the

bore。　　Moreover；　I　cleared　the　nipple　with　a　thorn；　and　shook　a　little

fine　powder　into　it；　so　as　to　obviate　any　chance　of　a　miss…fire。　　Then　I

set　on　the　cap　and　waited。　　What　was　going　on　among　the　Boers　or　the

Zulus　I　do　not　know。　　In　this　last　crisis　of　all　our