marie-第46章

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〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　　〃Tell　me；　when　am　I　going　to　get　out　of　this

place？〃



〃How　can　I　tell　you；　Macumazahn？〃　Naya　replied；　patting　my　hand　in　her

genial　way；　〃but　I　think　before　long。　　When　you　are　gone；　Macumazahn；

remember　me　kindly　sometimes；　as　I　have　really　tried　to　make　you　as

comfortable　as　I　could　with　a　watcher　staring　through　every　straw　in　the

hut。〃



I　said　whatever　seemed　to　be　appropriate；　and　next　morning　my

deliverance　came。　　While　I　was　eating　my　breakfast　in　the　courtyard　at

the　back　of　the　hut；　Naya　thrust　her　handsome　and　pleasant　face　round

the　corner　and　said　that　there　was　a　messenger　to　see　me　from　the　king。　

Leaving　the　rest　of　the　meal　unswallowed；　I　went　to　the　doorway　of　the

yard　and　there　found　my　old　friend；　Kambula。



〃Greeting；　Inkoos；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃I　am　come　to　take　you　back　to　Natal

with　a　guard。　　But　I　warn　you　to　ask　me　no　questions；　for　if　you　do　I

must　not　answer　them。　　Dingaan　is　ill；　and　you　cannot　see　him；　nor　can

you　see　the　white　praying…man；　or　anyone；　you　must　come　with　me　at

once。〃



〃I　do　not　want　to　see　Dingaan；〃　I　replied；　looking　him　in　the　eyes。



〃I　understand；〃　answered　Kambula；　〃Dingaan's　thoughts　are　his　thoughts

and　your　thoughts　are　your　thoughts；　and　perhaps　that　is　why　he　does　not

want　to　see　_you_。　　Still；　remember；　Inkoos；　that　Dingaan　has　saved　your

life；　snatching　you　unburned　out　of　a　very　great　fire；　perhaps　because

you　are　of　a　different　sort　of　wood；　which　he　thinks　it　a　pity　to　burn。　

Now；　if　you　are　ready；　let　us　go。〃



〃I　am　ready；〃　I　answered。



At　the　gate　I　met　Naya；　who　said：



〃You　never　thought　to　say　good…bye　to　me；　White　Man；　although　I　have

tended　you　well。　　Ah！　what　else　could　I　expect？　　Still；　I　hope　that　if　I

should　have　to　fly　from　this　land　for　_my_　life；　as　may　chance；　you　will

do　for　me　what　I　have　done　for　you。〃



〃That　I　will；〃　I　answered；　shaking　her　by　the　hand；　and；　as　it　happened；

in　after　years　I　did。



Kambula　led　me；　not　through　the　kraal　Umgungundhlovu；　but　round　it。　　Our

road　lay　immediately　past　the　death　mount；　Hloma　Amabutu；　where　the

vultures　were　still　gathered　in　great　numbers。　　Indeed；　it　was　actually

my　lot　to　walk　over　the　new…picked　bones　of　some　of　my　companions　who

had　been　despatched　at　the　foot　of　the　hill。　　One　of　these　skeletons　I

recognised　by　his　clothes　to　be　that　of　Samuel　Esterhuizen；　a　very　good

fellow；　at　whose　side　I　had　slept　during　all　our　march。　　His　empty

eye…sockets　seemed　to　stare　at　me　reproachfully；　as　though　they　asked　me

why　I　remained　alive　when　he　and　all　his　brethren　were　dead。　　I　echoed

the　question　in　my　own　mind。　　Why　of　that　great　company　did　I　alone

remain　alive？



An　answer　seemed　to　rise　within　me：　That　I　might　be　one　of　the

instruments　of　vengeance　upon　that　devilish　murderer；　Dingaan。　　Looking

upon　those　poor　shattered　and　desecrated　frames　that　had　been　men；　I

swore　in　my　heart　that　if　I　lived　I　would　not　fail　in　that　mission。　　Nor

did　I　fail；　although　the　history　of　that　great　repayment　cannot　be　told

in　these　pages。



Turning　my　eyes　from　this　dreadful　sight；　I　saw　that　on　the　opposite

slope；　where　we　had　camped　during　our　southern　trek　from　Delagoa；　still

stood　the　huts　and　wagons　of　the　Reverend　Mr。　Owen。　　I　asked　Kambula

whether　he　and　his　people　were　also　dead。



〃No；　Inkoos；〃　he　answered；　〃they　are　of　the　Children　of　George；　as　you

are；　and　therefore　the　king　has　spared　them；　although　he　is　going　to

send　them　out　of　the　country。〃



This　was　good　news；　so　far　as　it　went；　and　I　asked　again　if　Thomas

Halstead　had　also　been　spared；　since　he；　too；　was　an　Englishman。



〃No；〃　said　Kambula。　　〃The　king　wished　to　save　him；　but　he　killed　two　of

our　people　and　was　dragged　off　with　the　rest。　　When　the　slayers　got　to

their　work　it　was　too　late　to　stay　their　hands。〃



Again　I　asked　whether　I　might　not　join　Mr。　Owen　and　trek　with　him；　to

which　Kambula　answered　briefly：



〃No；　Macumazahn；　the　king's　orders　are　that　you　must　go　by　yourself。〃



So　I　went；　nor　did　I　ever　again　meet　Mr。　Owen　or　any　of　his　people。　　I

believe；　however；　that　they　reached　Durban　safely　and　sailed　away　in　a

ship　called　the　Comet。



In　a　little　while　we　came　to　the　two　milk　trees　by　the　main　gate　of　the

kraal；　where　much　of　our　saddlery　still　lay　scattered　about；　though　the

guns　had　gone。　　Here　Kambula　asked　me　if　I　could　recognise　my　own

saddle。



〃There　it　is；〃　I　answered；　pointing　to　it；　〃but　what　is　the　use　of　a

saddle　without　a　horse？〃



〃The　horse　you　rode　has　been　kept　for　you；　Macumazahn；〃　he　replied。



Then　he　ordered　one　of　the　men　with　us　to　bring　the　saddle　and　bridle；

also　some　other　articles　which　I　selected；　such　as　a　couple　of　blankets；

a　water…bottle；　two　tins　containing　coffee　and　sugar；　a　little　case　of

medicines；　and　so　forth。



About　a　mile　further　on　I　found　one　of　my　horses　tethered　by　an　outlying

guard　hut；　and　noted　that　it　had　been　well　fed　and　cared　for。　　By

Kambula's　leave　I　saddled　it　and　mounted。　　As　I　did　so；　he　warned　me

that　if　I　tried　to　ride　away　from　the　escort　I　should　certainly　be

killed；　since　even　if　I　escaped　them；　orders　had　been　given　throughout

the　land　to　put　an　end　to　me　should　I　be　seen　alone。



I　replied　that；　unarmed　as　I　was；　I　had　no　idea　of　making　any　such

attempt。　　So　we　went　forward；　Kambula　and　his　soldiers　walking　or

trotting　at　my　side。



For　four　full　days　we　journeyed　thus；　keeping；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；

about　twenty　or　thirty　miles　to　the　east　of　that　road　by　which　I　had

left　Zululand　before　and　re…entered　it　with　Retief　and　his　commission。　

Evidently　I　was　an　object　of　great　interest　to　the　Zulus　of　the　country

through　which　we　passed；　perhaps　because　they　knew　me　to　be　the　sole

survivor　of　all　the　white　men　who　had　gone　up　to　visit　the　king。　　They

would　come　down　in　crowds　from　the　kraals　and　stare　at　me　almost　with

awe；　as　though　I　were　a　spirit　and　not　a　man。　　Only；　not　one　of　them

would　say　anything　to　me；　probably　because　they　had　been　forbidden　to　do

so。　　Indeed；　if　I　spoke　to　any　of　them；　invariably　they　turned　and

walked　or　ran　out　of　hearing。



It　was　on　the　evening　of　the　fourth　day　that　Kambula　and　his　soldiers

received　some　news　which　seemed　to　excite　them　a　great　deal。　　A

messenger　in　a　state　of　exhaustion；　who　had　an　injury　to　the　fleshy　part

of　his　left　arm；　which　looked　to　me　as　though　it　had　been　caused　by　a

bullet；　appeared　out　of　the　bush　and　said　something　of　which；　by

straining　my　ears；　I　caught　two　words〃Great　slaughter。〃　　Then　Kambula

laid　his　fingers　on　his　lips　as　a　signal　for　silence　and　led　the　man

away；　nor　did　I　see　or　hear　any　more　of　him。　　Afterwards　I　asked　Kambula

who　had　suffered　this　great　slaughter；　whereon　he　stared　at　me

innocently　and　replied　that　he　did　not　know　of　what　I　was　speaking。



〃What　is　the　use　of　lying　to　me；　Kambula；　seeing　that　I　shall　find　out

the　truth　before　long？〃



〃Then；　Macumazahn；　wait　till　you　do　find　it　out；　And　may　it　please　you；〃

he　replied；　and　went　off　to　speak　with　his　people　at　a　distance。



All　that　night　I　heard　them　talking　off　and　onI；　who　lay　awake　plunged

into　new　miseries。　　I　was　sure　that　some　other　dreadful　thing　had

happened。　　Probably　Dingaan's　armies　had　destroyed　all　the　Boers；　and；

if　so；　oh！　what　had　become　of　Marie？　　Was　she　dead；　or　had　she　perhaps

been　taken　prisoner；　as　Dingaan　had　told　me　would　be　done　for　his　own

vile　purposes？　　For　aught　I　knew　she　might　now　be　travelling　under

escort　to　Umgungundhlovu；　as　I　was　travelling　to　Natal。



The　morning　came　at　last；　and　that　day；　about　noon；　we　reached　a　ford　of

the　Tugela　which　luckily　was　quite　passable。　　Here　Kambula　bade　me

farewell；　saying　that　his　mission　was　finished。　　Also　he　delivered　to　me

a　message　that　I　was　to　give　from　Dingaan　to　the　English　in　Natal。　　It

was　to　this　effect：　That　he；　Dingaan；　had　killed　the　Boers　who　came　to

visit　him　because　he　found　out　that　they　were　traitors　to　their　chief；

and　therefore　not　worthy　to　live。　　But　that　he　loved　the　Sons　of　George；

who　were　true…hearted　people；　and　therefore　had　nothing　to　fear　from

him。　　Indeed；　he　begged　them　to　come　and　see　him　at　his　Great　Place；

where　he　would　talk　matters　over　with　them。



I　said　that　I　would　deliver　the　message　if　I　met　any　English　people；

but；　of　course；　I　could　not　say　whether　they　would　accept　Dingaan's

invitation　to　Umgungundhlovu。　　Indeed；　I　feared　lest　that　town　might

have　acquired　such　a　bad　name　that　they　would　prefer　not　to　come　there

without　an　army。



Then；　before　Kambula　had　time　to　take　any　offence；　I　shook　his

outstretched　hand　and　urged　my　horse　into　the　stream。　　I　never　met

Kambula　again　living；　though　after　the　battle　of　Blood　River　I　saw　him

dead。



Once　over　the　Tugela　I　rode　forward　for　half　a　mile　or　so　till　I　was

clear　of　the　bush　and　reeds　that　grew　down　to　the　water；　fearing　lest

the　Zulus　should　follow　and　take　me　back　to　Dingaan　to　explain　my　rather

imprudent　message。　　Seeing　no　signs　of　them；　I　halted；　a　desolate

creature　in　a　desolate　country　which　I　did　not　know；　wondering　what　I

should　do　and　whither　I　should　ride。　　Then　it　was　that　there　happened

one　of　the　strangest　experiences　of　all　my　adventurous　life。



As　I　sat　dejectedly　upon　my　horse；　which　was　also　dejected；　amidst　some

tumbled　rocks　that　at　a　distant　period　in　the　world's　history　had　formed

the　bank　of　the　great　river；　I　heard　a　voice　which　seemed　familiar　to　me

say：



〃Baas；　is　that　_you_；　baas？〃



I　looked　round　and　could　see　no　one；　so；　thinking　that　I　had　been

deceived　by　my　imagination；　I　held　my　peace。



〃Baas；〃　said　the　voice　again；　〃are　you　dead　or　are　you　alive？　　Because；

if　you　are　dead；　I　don't　want　to　have　anything　to　do　with　spooks　until　I

am　obliged。〃



Now　I　answered；　〃Who　is　it　that　speaks；　and　whence？〃　though；　really；　as

I　could　see　no　one；　I　thought　that　I　must　be　demented。



The　next　moment　my　horse　snorted　and　shied　violently；　and　no　wonder；　for

out　of　a　great　ant…bear　hole　not　five　paces　away　appeared　a　yellow　face

crowned　with　black　wool；　in　which　was　set　a　broken　feather。　　I　looked　at

the　face　and　the　face　looked　at　me。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃is　it　you？　　I　thought　that　_you_　were　killed　with　the

others。〃



〃And　I　thought　that　_you_　were　killed　with　the　others；　baas。　　Are　you

sure　that　you　are　alive？〃



〃What　are　you　doing　there；　you　old　fool？〃　I　asked。



〃Hiding　from　the　Zulus；　baas。　　I　heard　them　on　the　other　bank；　and　then

saw　a　man　on　a　horse　crossing　the　river；　and　went　to　ground　like　a

jackal。　　I　have　had　enough　of　Zulus。〃



〃Come　out；〃　I　said；　〃and　tell　me　your　story。〃



He　emerged；　a　thin　and　bedraggled　creature；　with　nothing　left　on　him　but

the　upper　part　of　a　pair　of　old　trousers；　but　still　Hans；　undoubtedly

Hans。　　He　ran　to　me；　and　seizing　my　foot；　kissed　it　again　and　again；

weeping　tears　of　joy　and　stuttering：



〃Oh；　b