marie-第34章

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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　fates　I　never

looked；　being　too　intent　upon　my　own　part　in　the　drama。



By　now　the　vultures　appeared　to　have　realised　that　something　unusual　was

in　progress；　which　threatened　danger　to　them。　　At　any　rate；　although　by

this　time　they　had　collected　in　hundreds　from　east；　west；　north；　and

south；　and　were　wheeling　the　heavens　above　in　their　vast；　majestic

circles；　none　of　them　seemed　to　care　to　descend　to　prey　upon　the　bodies。

　I　watched；　and　saw　that　among　their　number　was　that　great　king　bird

which　had　bitten　Hans　in　the　face；　it　was　easy　to　distinguish　him；

because　he　was　so　much　larger　than　the　others。　　Also；　he　had　some　white

at　the　tips　of　his　wings。　　I　observed　that　certain　of　his　company　drew

near　to　him　in　the　skies；　where　they　hung　together　in　a　knot；　as　though

in　consultation。



They　separated　out　again；　and　the　king　began　to　descend；　deputed

probably　to　spy　out　the　land。　　Down　he　came　in　ever…narrowing　turns；

till　he　reached　the　appointed　spot　for　the　plunge；　and；　according　to　the

immemorial　custom　of　these　birds；　hung　a　while　before　he　pounced　with

his　head　to　the　south　and　his　great；　spreading　tail　towards　me。



This　was　my　chance；　and；　rejoicing　in　having　so　large　a　mark；　I　got　the

sight　upon　him　and　pulled。　　The　bullet　thudded；　some　feathers　floated

from　his　belly；　showing　that　it　had　gone　home；　and　I　looked　to　see　him

fall　as　the　others　had　done。　　But　alas！　he　did　not　fall。　　For　a　few

seconds　he　rocked　to　and　fro　upon　his　great　wings；　then　commenced　to

travel　upwards　in　vast　circles；　which　grew　gradually　more　narrow；　till

he　appeared　to　be　flying　almost　straight　into　the　empyrean。　　I　stared

and　stared。　　Everybody　stared；　till　that　enormous　bird　became；　first　a

mere　blot　upon　the　blue；　and　at　length　but　a　speck。　　Then　it　vanished

altogether　into　regions　far　beyond　the　sight　of　man。



〃Now　there　is　an　end；〃　I　said　to　Hans。



〃Ja；　baas；〃　answered　the　Hottentot　between　his　chattering　teeth；　〃there

is　an　end。　　You　did　not　put　in　enough　powder。　　Presently　we　shall　all　be

dead。〃



〃Not　quite；〃　I　said　with　a　bitter　laugh。　　〃Hans；　load　the　rifle；　load　it

quick。　　Before　they　die　there　shall　be　another　king　in　Zululand。〃



〃Good；　good！〃　he　exclaimed　as　he　loaded　desperately。　　〃Let　us　take　that

fat　pig　of　a　Dingaan　with　us。　　Shoot　him　in　the　stomach；　baas；　shoot　him

in　the　stomach；　so　that　he　too　may　learn　what　it　is　to　die　slowly。　　Then

cut　my　throat；　here　is　my　big　knife；　and　afterwards　cut　your　own；　if　you

have　not　time　to　load　the　gun　again　and　shoot　yourself；　which　is

easier。〃



I　nodded；　for　it　was　in　my　mind　to　do　these　things。　　Never　could　I　stand

still　and　see　those　poor　Boers　killed；　and　I　knew　that　Marie　would　look

after　herself。



Meanwhile；　the　Zulus　were　coming　towards　me；　and　the　soldiers　who　had

charge　of　them　were　driving　up　Marais's　people；　making　pretence　to

thrust　them　through　with　their　assegais；　and　shouting　at　them　as　men　do

at　cattle。　　Both　parties　arrived　in　the　depression　at　about　the　same

time；　but　remained　separated　by　a　little　space。　　In　this　space　lay　the

corpses　of　the　murdered　men　and　the　two　dead　aasvogels；　with　Hans　and

myself　standing　opposite　to　them。



〃Well；　little　Son　of　George；〃　puffed　Dingaan；　〃you　have　lost　your　bet；

for　you　did　but　kill　two　vultures　out　of　five　with　your　magic；　which　was

good　as　far　as　it　went；　but　not　good　enough。　　Now　you　must　pay；　as　I

would　have　paid　had　you　won。〃



Then　he　stretched　out　his　hand；　and　issued　the　dreadful　order　of　〃Bulala

amalongu！〃　（Kill　the　white　people）。　　〃Kill　them　one　by　one；　that　I　may

see　whether　they　know　how　to　die；　all　except　Macumazahn　and　the　tall

girl；　whom　I　keep。〃



Some　of　the　soldiers　made　a　dash　and　seized　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　who　was

standing　in　front　of　the　party。



〃Wait　a　little；　King；〃　she　called　out　as　the　assegais　were　lifted　over

her。　　〃How　do　you　know　that　the　bet　is　lost？　　He　whom　you　call

Macumazahn　hit　that　last　vulture。　　It　should　be　searched　for　before　you

kill　us。〃



〃What　does　the　old　woman　say？〃　asked　Dingaan；　and　Halstead　translated

slowly。



〃True；〃　said　Dingaan。　　〃Well；　now　I　will　send　her　to　search　for　the

vulture　in　the　sky。　　Come　back　thence；　Fat　One；　and　tell　us　if　you　find

it。〃



The　soldiers　lifted　their　assegais；　waiting　the　king's　word。　　I

pretended　to　look　at　the　ground；　and　cocked　my　rifle；　being　determined

that　if　he　spoke　it；　it　should　be　his　last。　　Hans　stared　upwardsI

suppose　to　avoid　the　sight　of　deaththen　suddenly　uttered　a　wild　yell；

which　caused　everyone；　even　the　doomed　people；　to　turn　their　eyes　to

him。　　He　was　pointing　to　the　heavens；　and　they　looked　to　see　at　what　he

pointed。



This　was　what　they　saw。　　Far；　far　above　in　that　infinite　sea　of　blue

there　appeared　a　tiny　speck；　which　his　sharp　sight　had　already

discerned；　a　speck　that　grew　larger　and　larger　as　it　descended　with

terrific　and　ever…growing　speed。



_It　was　the　king　vulture　falling　from　the　heavensdead！_



Down　it　came　between　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　and　the　slayers；　smashing　the

lifted　assegai　of　one　of　them　and　hurling　him　to　the　earth。　　Down　it

came；　and　lay　there　a　mere　mass　of　pulp　and　feathers。



〃O　Dingaan；〃　I　said　in　the　midst　of　the　intense　silence　that　followed；

〃it　seems　that　it　is　I　who　have　won　the　bet；　not　you。　　I　killed　this

king　of　birds；　but　being　a　king　it　chose　to　die　high　up　and　alone；　that

is　all。〃



Dingaan　hesitated；　for　he　did　not　wish　to　spare　the　Boers；　and　I；　noting

his　hesitation；　lifted　my　rifle　a　little。　　Perhaps　he　saw　it；　or　perhaps

his　sense　of　honour；　as　he　understood　the　word；　overcame　his　wish　for

their　blood。　　At　any　rate；　he　said　to　one　of　his　councillors：



〃Search　the　carcase　of　that　vulture　and　see　if　there　is　a　bullet　hole　in

it。〃



The　man　obeyed；　feeling　at　the　mass　of　broken　bones　and　flesh。　　By　good

fortune　he　found；　not　the　hole；　for　that　was　lost　in　the　general

destruction　of　the　tissues；　but　the　ball　itself；　which；　having　pierced

the　thick　body　from　below　upwards；　had　remained　fast　in　the　tough　skin

just　by　the　back…bone　where　the　long；　red　neck　emerges　from　between　the

wings。　　He　picked　it　out；　for　it　was　only　hanging　in　the　skin；　and　held

it　up　for　all　to　see。



〃Macumazahn　has　won　his　bet；〃　said　Dingaan。　　〃His　magic　has　conquered；

though　by　but　a　very　little。　　Macumazahn；　take　these　Boers；　they　are

yours；　and　begone　with　them　out　of　my　country。〃







CHAPTER　XV









RETIEF　ASKS　A　FAVOUR











Now　and　again　during　our　troubled　journey　through　life　we　reach　little

oases　of　almost　perfect　happiness；　set　jewel…like　here　and　there　in　the

thorny　wilderness　of　time。　　Sometimes　these　are　hours　of　mere　animal

content。　　In　others　they　are　made　beautiful　by　waters　blowing　from　our

spiritual　springs　of　being；　as　in　those　rare　instances　when　the　material

veil　of　life　seems　to　be　rent　by　a　mighty　hand；　and　we　feel　the　presence

and　the　comfort　of　God　within　us　and　about　us；　guiding　our　footsteps　to

the　ineffable　end；　which　is　Himself。　　Occasionally；　however；　all　these；

physical　satisfaction　and　love　divine　and　human；　are　blended　to　a　whole；

like　soul　and　body；　and　we　can　say；　〃Now　I　know　what　is　joy。〃



Such　an　hour　came　to　me　on　the　evening　of　that　day　of　the　winning　of　my

bet　with　Dingaan；　when　a　dozen　lives　or　so　were　set　against　my　nerve　and

skill。　　These　had　not　failed　me；　although　I　knew　that　had　it　not　been

for　the　inspiration　of　the　Hottentot　Hans　（who　sent　it；　I　wonder？）　they

would　have　been　of　no　service　at　all。　　With　all　my　thought　and

experience；　it　had　never　occurred　to　me　that　the　wonderful　eyes　of　the

vultures　would　see　the　flash　of　the　powder　even　through　the　pervading

sunlight；　and　swerve　before　the　deadly　bullet　could　reach　them。



On　that　night　I　was　indeed　a　hero　in　a　small　way。　　Even　Henri　Marais

thawed　and　spoke　to　me　as　a　father　might　to　his　child；　he　who　always

disliked　me　in　secret；　partly　because　I　was　an　Englishman；　partly

because　I　was　everything　to　his　daughter　and　he　was　jealous；　and　partly

for　the　reason　that　I　stood　in　the　path　of　his　nephew；　Hernan　Pereira；

whom　he　either　loved　or　feared；　or　both。　　As　for　the　rest　of　them；　men；

women　and　children；　they　thanked　and　blessed　me　with　tears　in　their

eyes；　vowing　that；　young　as　I　was；　thenceforth　I　and　no　other　should　be

their　leader。　　As　may　be　imagined；　although　it　is　true　that　she　set　down

my　success　to　her　meal　of　bullock's　liver　and　the　nap　which　she　had

insisted　on　my　taking；　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　was　the　most　enthusiastic　of

them　all。



〃Look　at　him；〃　she　said；　pointing　with　her　fat　finger　at　my

insignificant　self　and　addressing　her　family。　　〃If　only　I　had　such　a

husband　or　a　son；　instead　of　you　lumps　that　God　has　tied　to　me　like

clogs　to　the　heels　of　a　she…ass；　I　should　be　happy。〃



〃God　did　that　in　order　to　prevent　you　from　kicking；　old　vrouw；〃　said　her

husband；　a　quiet　man　with　a　vein　of　sardonic　humour。　　〃If　only　He　had

tied　another　clog　to　your　tongue；　I　should　be　happy　also〃；　whereon　the

vrouw　smacked　his　head　and　her　children　got　out　of　the　way　sniggering。



But　the　most　blessed　thing　of　all　was　my　interview　with　Marie。　　All　that

took　place　between　us　can　best　be　left　to　the　imagination；　since　the

talk　of　lovers；　even　in　such　circumstances；　is　not　interesting　to

others。　　Also；　in　a　sense；　it　is　too　sacred　to　repeat。　　One　sentence　I

will　set　down；　however；　because　in　the　light　of　after　events　I　feel　that

it　was　prophetic；　and　not　spoken　merely　by　chance。　　It　was　at　the　end　of

our　talk；　as　she　was　handing　me　back　the　pistol　that　I　had　given　her　for

a　certain　dreadful　purpose。



〃Three　times　you　have　saved　my　life；　Allanonce　at　Maraisfontein；　once

from　starvation；　and　now　from　Dingaan；　whose　touch　would　have　meant　my

death。　　I　wonder　whether　it　will　ever　be　my　turn　to　save　yours？〃



She　looked　down　for　a　little　while；　then　lifted　her　head　and　laid　her

hand　upon　my　shoulder；　adding　slowly：　〃Do　you　know；　Allan；　I　think　that

it　will　at　the〃　and　suddenly　she　turned　and　left　me　with　her　sentence

unfinished。





So　thus　it　came　about　that　by　the　help　of　Providence　I　was　enabled　to

rescue　all　these　worthy　folk　from　a　miserable　and　a　bloody　death。　　And

yet　I　have　often　reflected　since　that　if　things　had　gone　differently；

if；　for　instance；　that　king　aasvogel　had　found　strength　to　carry　itself

away　to　die　at　a　distance　instead　of　soaring　straight　upwards　like　a

towering　partridge；　as　birds　injured　in　the　lungs　will　often　doI

suppose　in　search　of　airit　might　have　been　better　in　the　end。　　Then　I

should　certainly　have　shot　Dingaan　dead　and　every　one　of　us　would　as

certainly　have　been　killed　on　the　spot。　　But　if　Dingaan　had　died　that

day；　Retief　and　his　companions　would　never　have　been　massacred。　　Also　as

the　peaceful　Panda；　his　br