marie-第43章

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earnest　conversation　beneath　one　of　the　milk　trees　which；　as　I　think　I

have　already　mentioned；　grow；　or　grew；　there。　　They　were　Henri　Marais

and　his　nephew。　　Catching　sight　of　me；　Marais　walked　off；　but　Pereira

advanced　and　spoke　to　me；　although；　warned　perhaps　by　what　had　happened

to　him　in　the　case　of　Retief；　I　am　glad　to　say　he　did　not　offer　me　his

hand。



〃Good　day　to　you；　Allan；〃　he　said　effusively。　　〃I　have　just　heard　from

my　uncle　that　I　have　to　congratulate　you；　about　Marie　I　mean；　and；

believe　me；　I　do　so　with　all　my　heart。〃



Now；　as　he　spoke　these　words；　remembering　what　I　had　just　heard；　my

blood　boiled　in　me；　but　I　thought　it　wise　to　control　myself；　and

therefore　only　answered：



〃Thank　you。〃



〃Of　course；〃　he　went　on；　〃we　have　both　striven　for　this　prize；　but　as　it

has　pleased　God　that　you　should　win　it；　why；　I　am　not　one　to　bear

malice。〃



〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it；〃　I　replied。　　〃I　thought　that　perhaps　you　might

be。　　Now　tell　me；　to　change　the　subject；　how　long　will　Dingaan　keep　us

here？〃



〃Oh！　two　or　three　days　at　most。　　You　see；　Allan；　luckily　I　have　been

able　to　persuade　him　to　sign　the　treaty　about　the　land　without　further

trouble。　　So　as　soon　as　that　is　done；　you　can　all　go　home。〃



〃The　commandant　will　be　very　grateful　to　you；〃　I　said。　　〃But　what　are

you　going　to　do？〃



〃I　do　not　know；　Allan。　　You　see；　I　am　not　a　lucky　fellow　like　yourself


with　a　wife　waiting　for　me。　　I　think　that　perhaps　I　shall　stop　here　a

while。　　I　see　a　way　of　making　a　great　deal　of　money　out　of　these　Zulus；

and　having　lost　everything　upon　that　Delagoa　Bay　trek；　I　want　money。〃



〃We　all　do；〃　I　answered；　〃especially　if　we　are　starting　in　life。　　So

when　it　is　convenient　to　you　to　settle　your　debts　I　shall　be　glad。〃



〃Oh！　have　no　fear；〃　he　exclaimed　with　a　sudden　lighting　up　of　his　dark

face；　〃I　will　pay　you　what　I　owe　you；　every　farthing；　with　good　interest

thrown　in。〃



〃The　king　has　just　told　me　that　is　you　intention；〃　I　remarked　quietly；

looking　him　full　in　the　eyes。　　Then　I　walked　on；　leaving　him　staring

after　me；　apparently　without　a　word　to　say。



I　went　straight　to　the　hut　that　was　allotted　to　Retief　in　the　little

outlying　guard…kraal；　which　had　been　given　to　us　for　a　camp。　　Here　I

found　the　commandant　seated　on　a　Kaffir　stool　engaged　in　painfully

writing　a　letter；　using　a　bit　of　board　placed　on　his　knees　as　a　desk。



He　looked　up；　and　asked　me　how　I　had　got　on　with　Dingaan；　not　being

sorry；　as　I　think；　of　an　excuse　to　pause　in　his　clerical　labours。



〃Listen；　commandant；〃　I　said；　and；　speaking　in　a　low　voice；　so　as　not　to

be　overheard；　I　told　him　every　word　that　had　passed　in　the　interviews　I

had　just　had　with　Dingaan；　with　Thomas　Halstead；　and　with　Pereira。



He　heard　me　out　in　silence；　then　said：



〃This　is　a　strange　and　ugly　story；　Allan；　and　if　it　is　true；　Pereira

must　be　an　even　bigger　scoundrel　than　I　thought　him。　　But　I　can't

believe　that　it　is　true。　　I　think　that　Dingaan　has　been　lying　to　you　for

his　own　purposes；　I　mean　about　the　plot　to　kill　you。〃



〃Perhaps；　commandant。　　I　don't　know；　and　I　don't　much　care。　　But　I　am

sure　that　he　was　not　lying　when　he　said　he　meant　to　steal　away　my　wife

either　for　himself　or　for　Pereira。〃



〃What；　then；　do　you　intend　to　do；　Allan？〃



〃I　intend；　commandant；　with　your　permission　to　send　Hans；　my

after…rider；　back　to　the　camp　with　a　letter　for　Marie；　telling　her　to

remove　herself　quietly　to　the　farm　I　have　chosen　down　on　the　river；　of

which　I　told　you；　and　there　to　lie　hid　till　I　come　back。〃



〃I　think　it　needless；　Allan。　　Still；　if　it　will　ease　your　mind；　do　so；

since　I　cannot　spare　you　to　go　yourself。　　Only　you　must　not　send　this

Hottentot；　who　would　talk　and　frighten　the　people。　　I　am　despatching　a

messenger　to　the　camp　to　tell　them　of　our　safe　arrival　and　good

reception　by　Dingaan。　　He　can　take　your　letter；　in　which　I　order　you　to

say　to　your　wife　that　if　she　and　the　Prinsloos　and　the　Meyers　go　to　this

farm　of　yours；　they　are　to　go　without　talking；　just　as　though　they

wanted　a　change；　that　is　all。　　Have　the　letter　ready　by　dawn　to…morrow

morning；　as　I　trust　mine　may　be；〃　he　added　with　a　groan。



〃It　shall　be　ready；　commandant；　but　what　about　Hernan　Pereira　and　his

tricks？〃



〃This　about　the　accursed　Hernan　Pereira；〃　exclaimed　Retief；　striking　the

writing…board　with　his　fist。　　〃On　the　first　opportunity　I　will　myself

take　the　evidence　of　Dingaan　and　of　the　English　lad；　Halstead。　　If　I

find　they　tell　me　the　same　story　they　have　told　you；　I　will　put　Pereira

on　his　trial；　as　I　threatened　to　do　before；　and　should　he　be　found

guilty；　by　God！　I　will　have　him　shot。　　But　for　the　present　it　is　best　to

do　nothing；　except　keep　an　eye　on　him；　lest　we　should　cause　fear　and

scandal　in　the　camp；　and；　after　all；　not　prove　the　case。　　Now　go　and

write　your　letter；　and　leave　me　to　write　mine。〃



So　I　went　and　wrote；　telling　Marie　something；　but　by　no　means　all　of

that　I　have　set　down。　　I　bade　her；　and　the　Prinsloos　and　the　Meyers；　if

they　would　accompany　her；　as　I　was　sure　they　would；　move　themselves　off

at　once　to　the　farm　I　had　beaconed　out　thirty　miles　away　from　the

Bushman's　River；　under　pretence　of　seeing　how　the　houses　that　were　being

built　there　were　getting　on。　　Or　if　they　would　not　go；　I　bade　her　go

alone　with　a　few　Hottentot　servants；　or　any　other　companions　she　could

find。



This　letter　I　took　to　Retief；　and　read　it　to　him。　　At　my　request；　also；

he　scrawled　at　the　foot　of　it：





〃I　have　seen　the　above　and　approve　it；　knowing　all　the　story；　which　may

be　true　or　false。　　Do　as　your　husband　bids　you；　but　do　not　talk　of　it　in

the　camp　except　to　those　whom　he　mentions。PIETER　RETIEF。〃





So　the　messenger　departed　at　dawn；　and　in　due　course　delivered　my　letter

to　Marie。



The　next　day　was　Sunday。　　In　the　morning　I　went　to　call　upon　the

Reverend　Mr。　Owen；　the　missionary；　who　was　very　glad　to　see　me。　　He

informed　me　that　Dingaan　was　in　good　mind　towards　us；　and　had　been

asking　him　if　he　would　write　the　treaty　ceding　the　land　which　the　Boers

wanted。　　I　stopped　for　service　at　the　huts　of　Mr。　Owen；　and　then

returned　to　the　camp。　　In　the　afternoon　Dingaan　celebrated　a　great　war

dance　for　us　to　witness；　in　which　about　twelve　thousand　soldiers　took

part。



It　was　a　wonderful　and　awe…inspiring　spectacle；　and　I　remember　that　each

of　the　regiments　employed　had　a　number　of　trained　oxen　which　manoeuvred

with　them；　apparently　at　given　words　of　command。　　We　did　not　see　Dingaan

that　day；　except　at　a　distance；　and　after　the　dance　was　over　returned　to

our　camp　to　eat　the　beef　which　he　had　provided　for　us　in　plenty。



On　the　third　daythat　was　Monday；　the　5th　of　February；　there　were　more

dancings　and　sham　fights；　so　many　more；　indeed；　that　we　began　to　weary

of　this　savage　show。　　Late　in　the　afternoon；　however；　Dingaan　sent　for

the　commandant　and　his　men　to　come　to　see　him；　saying　that　he　wished　to

talk　with　him　about　the　matter　of　the　treaty。　　So　we　went；　but　only

three　or　four；　of　whom　I　was　one；　were　admitted　to　Dingaan's　presence；

the　rest　remaining　at　a　little　distance；　where　they　could　see　us　but

were　out　of　earshot。



Dingaan　then　produced　a　paper　which　had　been　written　by　the　Reverend　Mr。

Owen。　　This　document；　which　I　believe　still　exists；　for　it　was　found

afterwards；　was　drawn　up　in　legal　or　semi…legal　form；　beginning　like　a

proclamation；　〃Know　all　men。〃



It　ceded　〃the　place　called　Port　Natal；　together　with　all　the　land

annexedthat　is　to　say；　from　Tugela　to　the　Umzimvubu　River　westward；

and　from　the　sea　to　the　north〃to　the　Boers；　〃for　their　everlasting

property。〃　　At　the　king's　request；　as　the　deed　was　written　in　English　by

Mr。　Owen；　I　translated　it　to　him；　and　afterwards　the　lad　Halstead

translated　it　also；　being　called　in　to　do　so　when　I　had　finished。



This　was　done　that　my　rendering　might　be　checked；　and　the　fact　impressed

all　the　Boers　very　favourably。　　It　showed　them　that　the　king　desired　to

understand　exactly　what　he　was　to　sign；　which　would　not　have　been　the

case　had　he　intended　any　trick　or　proposed　to　cheat　them　afterwards。　

From　that　moment　forward　Retief　and　his　people　had　no　further　doubts　as

to　Dingaan's　good　faith　in　this　matter；　and　foolishly　relaxed　all

precautions　against　treachery。



When　the　translating　was　finished；　the　commandant　asked　the　king　if　he

would　sign　the　paper　then　and　there。　　He　answered；　〃No；　he　would　sign　it

on　the　following　morning；　before　the　commission　returned　to　Natal。〃　　It

was　then　that　Retief　inquired　of　Dingaan；　through　Thomas　Halstead；

whether　it　was　a　true　story　which　he　had　heard；　that　the　Boer　called

Pereira；　who　had　been　staying　with　him；　and　whom　the　Zulus　knew　by　the

name　of　〃Two…faces；〃　had　again　asked　him；　Dingaan；　to　have　me；　Allan

Quatermain；　whom　they　called　Macumazahn；　killed。　　Dingaan　laughed　and

answered：



〃Yes；　that　is　true　enough；　for　he　hates　this　Macumazahn。　　But　let　the

little　white　Son　of　George　have　no　fear；　since　my　heart　is　soft　towards

him；　and　I　swear　by　the　head　of　the　Black　One　that　he　shall　come　to　no

harm　in　Zululand。　　Is　he　not　my　guest；　as　you　are？〃



He　then　went　on　to　say　that　if　the　commandant　wished　it；　he　would　have

〃Two…faces〃　seized　and　killed　because　he　had　dared　to　ask　for　my　life。　

Retief　answered　that　he　would　look　into　that　matter　himself；　and　after

Thomas　Halstead　had　confirmed　the　king's　story　as　to　Pereira's　conduct；

he　rose　and　said　good…bye　to　Dingaan。



Of　this　matter　of　Hernan　Pereira；　Retief　said　little　as　we　went　back　to

the　camp　outside　the　Kraal；　though　the　little　that　he　did　say　showed　his

deep　anger。　　When　we　arrived　at　the　camp；　however；　he　sent　for　Pereira

and　Marais　and　several　of　the　older　Boers。　　I　remember　that　among　these

were　Gerrit　Bothma；　Senior；　Hendrik　Labuschagne　and　Matthys　Pretorius；

Senior；　all　of　them　persons　of　standing　and　judgment。　　I　also　was

ordered　to　be　present。　　When　Pereira　arrived；　Retief　charged　him　openly

with　having　plotted　my　murder；　and　asked　him　what　he　had　to　say。　　Of

course；　his　answer　was　a　flat　denial；　and　an　accusation　against　me　of

having　invented　the　tale　because　we　had　been　at　enmity　over　a　maiden

whom　I　had　since　married。



〃Then；　Mynheer　Pereira；〃　said　Retief；　〃as　Allan　Quatermain　here　has　won

the　maiden　who　is　now　his　wife；　it　would　seem　that　his　cause　of　enmity

must　have　ceased；　whereas　yours　may　well　have　remained。　　However；　I　have

no　time　to　try　cases　of　the　sort　now。　　But　I　warn　you　that　this　one　will

be　looked　into　later　on　when　we　get　back　to　Natal；　whither　I　shall　take

you　with　me；　and　that　meanwhile　an　eye　is　kept　on　you　and　what　you　do。　

Also　I　warn　you　that　I　have　evidence　for　all　that　I　say。　　Now　be　so　good

as　to　go；　and　to　keep　out　of　my　sight　as　much　as　possible；　for　I　do　not

like　a　man　whom　these　Kaffirs　name　'Two…faces。'　　As　for　you；　friend

Henri　Marais；　I　tell　you　that　you　would　do　well　to　associ