marie-第49章

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may　be　made　in　writing。〃



〃It　shall　be　done；〃　said　the　commandant；　and　laboriously　he　made　the

note　on　the　paper　before　him。



When　he　had　finished　he　looked　up　and　said：　〃The　charge　against　you；

Allan　Quatermain；　is　that；　being　one　of　the　commission　who　recently

visited　the　Zulu　king　Dingaan；　under　command　of　the　late　Governor　and

General　Pieter　Retief；　you　did　falsely　and　wickedly　urge　the　said

Dingaan　to　murder　the　said　Pieter　Retief　and　his　companions；　and

especially　Henri　Marais；　your　father…in…law；　and　Hernando　Pereira；　his

nephew；　with　both　of　whom　you　had　a　quarrel。　　Further；　that　afterwards

you　brought　about　the　said　murder；　having　first　arranged　with　the　king

of　the　Zulus　that　you　should　be　removed　to　a　place　of　safety　while　it

was　done。　　Do　you　plead　Guilty　or　Not　guilty？〃



Now　when　I　heard　this　false　and　abominable　charge　my　rage　and

indignation　caused　me　to　laugh　aloud。



〃Are　you　mad；　commandant；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃that　you　should　say　such

things？　　On　what　evidence　is　this　wicked　lie　advanced　against　me？〃



〃No；　Allan　Quatermain；　I　am　not　mad；〃　he　replied；　〃although　it　is　true

that　through　your　evil　doings　I；　who　have　lost　my　wife　and　three

children　by　the　Zulu　spears；　have　suffered　enough　to　make　me　mad。　　As

for　the　evidence　against　you；　you　shall　hear　it。　　But　first　I　will　write

down　that　you　plead　Not　guilty。〃



He　did　so；　then　said：



〃If　you　will　acknowledge　certain　things　it　will　save　us　all　much　time；

of　which　at　present　we　have　little　to　spare。　　Those　things　are　that

knowing　what　was　going　to　happen　to　the　commission；　you　tried　to　avoid

accompanying　it。　　Is　that　true？〃



〃No；〃　I　answered。　　〃I　knew　nothing　of　what　was　going　to　happen　to　the

commission；　though　I　feared　something；　having　but　just　saved　my　friends

there〃and　I　pointed　to　the　Prinsloos〃from　death　at　the　hands　of

Dingaan。　　I　did　not　wish　to　accompany　it　for　another　reason：　that　I　had

been　married　on　the　day　of　its　starting　to　Marie　Marais。　　Still；　I　went

after　all　because　the　General　Retief；　who　was　my　friend；　asked　me　to

come；　to　interpret　for　him。〃



Now　some　of　the　Boers　present　said：



〃That　is　true。　　We　remember。〃



But　the　commandant　continued；　taking　no　heed　of　my　answer　or　these

interruptions。



〃Do　you　acknowledge　that　you　were　on　bad　terms　with　Henri　Marais　and

with　Hernan　Pereira？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃because　Henri　Marais　did　all　in　his　power　to　prevent

my　marriage　with　his　daughter　Marie；　behaving　very　ill　to　me　who　had

saved　his　life　and　that　of　his　people　who　remained　to　him　up　by　Delagoa；

and　afterwards　at　Umgungundhlovu。　　Because；　too；　Hernan　Pereira　strove

to　rob　me　of　Marie；　who　loved　me。　　Moreover；　although　I　had　saved　him

when　he　lay　sick　to　death；　he　afterwards　tried　to　murder　me　by　shooting

me　down　in　a　lonely　place。　　Here　is　the　mark　of　it；〃　and　I　touched　the

little　scar　upon　the　side　of　my　forehead。



〃That　is　true；　he　did　so；　the　stinkcat；〃　shouted　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　and

was　ordered　to　be　silent。



〃Do　you　acknowledge；〃　went　on　the　commandant；　〃that　you　sent　to　warn

your　wife　and　those　with　her　to　depart　from　the　camp　on　the　Bushman's

River；　because　it　was　going　to　be　attacked；　charging　them　to　keep　the

matter　secret；　and　that　afterwards　both　you　and　your　Hottentot　servant

alone　returned　safely　from　Zululand；　where　all　those　who　went　with　you

lie　dead？〃



〃I　acknowledge；〃　I　answered；　〃that　I　wrote　to　tell　my　wife　to　come　to

this　place　where　I　had　been　building　houses；　as　you　see；　and　to　bring

with　her　any　of　our　companions　who　cared　to　trek　here；　or；　failing　that；

to　go　alone。　　This　I　did　because　Dingaan　had　told　me；　whether　in　jest　or

in　earnest　I　did　not　know；　that　he　had　given　orders　that　my　said　wife

should　be　kidnapped；　as　he　desired　to　make　her　one　of　his　women；　having

thought　her　beautiful　when　he　saw　her。　　Also　what　I　did　was　done　with

the　knowledge　and　by　the　wish　of　the　late　Governor　Retief；　as　can　be

shown　by　his　writing　on　my　letter。　　I　acknowledge　also　that　I　escaped

when　all　my　brothers　were　killed；　as　did　the　Hottentot　Hans；　and　if　you

wish　to　know　I　will　tell　you　how　we　escaped　and　why。〃



The　commandant　made　a　further　note；　then　he　said：



〃Let　the　witness　Hernan　Pereira　be　called　and　sworn。〃



This　was　done　and　he　was　ordered　to　tell　his　tale。



As　may　be　imagined；　it　was　a　long　tale；　and　one　that　had　evidently　been

prepared　with　great　care。　　I　will　only　set　down　its　blackest　falsehoods。

　He　assured　the　court　that　he　had　no　enmity　against　me　and　had　never

attempted　to　kill　me　or　do　me　any　harm；　although　it　was　true　that　his

heart　felt　sore　because；　against　her　father's　will；　I　had　stolen　away

the　affection　of　his　betrothed；　who　was　now　my　wife。　　He　said　that　he

had　stopped　in　Zululand　because　he　knew　that　I　should　marry　her　as　soon

as　she　came　of　age；　and　it　was　too　great　pain　for　him　to　see　this　done。　

He　said　that　while　he　was　there；　before　the　arrival　of　the　commission；

Dingaan　and　some　of　his　captains　had　told　him　that　I　had　again　and　again

urged　him；　Dingaan；　to　kill　the　Boers　because　they　were　traitors　to　the

sovereign　of　England；　but　that　he；　Dingaan；　had　refused　to　do　so。　　He

said　that　when　Retief　came　up　with　the　commission　he　tried　to　warn　him

against　me；　but　that　Retief　would　not　listen；　being　infatuated　with　me

as　many　others　were；　and　he　looked　towards　the　Prinsloos。



Then　came　the　worst　of　all。　　He　said　that　while　he　was　engaged　in

mending　some　guns　for　Dingaan　in　one　of　his　private　huts；　he　overheard　a

conversation　between　myself　and　Dingaan　which　took　place　outside　the

hut；　I；　of　course；　not　knowing　that　he　was　within。　　The　substance　of

this　conversation　was　that　I　again　urged　Dingaan　to　kill　the　Boers　and

afterwards　to　send　an　impi　to　massacre　their　wives　and　families。　　Only　I

asked　him　to　give　me　time　to　get　away　a　girl　whom　I　had　married　from

among　them；　and　with　her　a　few　of　my　own　friends　whom　I　wished　should　be

spared；　as　I　intended　to　become　a　kind　of　chief　over　them；　and　if　he

would　grant　it　me；　to　hold　all　the　land　of　Natal　under　his　rule　and　the

protection　of　the　English。　　To　these　proposals　Dingaan　answered　that

〃they　seemed　wise　and　good；　and　that　he　would　think　them　over　very

carefully。〃



Pereira　said　further　that　coming　out　of　the　hut　after　Dingaan　had　gone

away　he　reproached　me　bitterly　for　my　wickedness；　and　announced　that　he

would　warn　the　Boers；　which　he　did　subsequently　by　word　of　mouth　and　in

writing。　　That　thereon　I　caused　him　to　be　detained　by　the　Zulus　while　I

went　to　Retief　and　told　him　some　false　story　about　him；　Pereira；　which

caused　Retief　to　drive　him　out　of　his　camp　and　give　orders　that　none　of

the　Boers　should　so　much　as　speak　to　him。　　That　then　he　did　the　only

thing　he　could。　　Going　to　his　uncle；　Henri　Marais；　he　told　him；　not　all

the　truth；　but　that　he　had　learnt　for　certain　that　his　daughter　Marie

was　in　dreadful　danger　of　her　life　because　of　some　intended　attack　of

the　Zulus；　and　that　all　the　Boers　among　whom　she　dwelt　were　also　in

danger　of　their　lives。



Therefore　he　suggested　to　Henri　Marais　that　as　the　General　Retief　was

besotted　and　would　not　listen　to　his　story；　the　best　thing　they　could　do

was　to　ride　away　and　warn　the　Boers。　　This　then　they　did　secretly；

without　the　knowledge　of　Retief；　but　being　delayed　upon　their　journey　by

one　accident　and　another；　which　he　set　out　in　detail；　they　only　reached

the　Bushman's　River　too　late；　after　the　massacre　had　taken　place。　

Subsequently；　as　the　commandant　knew；　hearing　a　rumour　that　Marie　Marais

and　other　Boers　had　trekked　to　this　place　before　the　slaughter；　they

came　here　and　learned　that　they　had　done　so　upon　a　warning　sent　to　them

by　Allan　Quatermain；　whereon　they　returned　and　communicated　the　news　to

the　surviving　Boers　at　Bushman's　River。



That　was　all　he　had　to　say。



Then；　as　I　reserved　my　cross…examination　until　I　heard　all　the　evidence

against　me；　Henri　Marais　was　sworn　and　corroborated　his　nephew's

testimony　on　many　points　as　to　my　relations　to　his　daughter；　his

objection　to　my　marriage　to　her　because　I　was　an　Englishman　whom　he

disliked　and　mistrusted；　and　so　forth。　　He　added　further　that　it　was

true　Pereira　had　told　him　he　had　sure　information　that　Marie　and　the

Boers　were　in　danger　from　an　attack　upon　them　which　had　been　arranged

between　Allan　Quatermain　and　Dingaan；　that　he　also　had　written　to　Retief

and　tried　to　speak　to　him　but　was　refused　a　hearing。　　Thereon　he　had

ridden　away　from　Umgungundhlovu　to　try　to　save　his　daughter　and　warn　the

Boers。　　That　was　all　he　had　to　say。



As　there　were　no　further　witnesses　for　the　prosecution　I　cross…examined

these　two　at　full　length；　but　absolutely　without　results；　since　every

vital　question　that　I　asked　was　met　with　a　direct　negative。



Then　I　called　my　witnesses；　Marie；　whose　evidence　they　refused　to　hear

on　the　ground　that　she　was　my　wife　and　prejudiced；　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo

and　her　family；　and　the　Meyers。　　One　and　all　told　a　true　story　of　my

relations　with　Hernan　Pereira；　Henri　Marais；　and　Dingaan；　so　far　as　they

knew　them。



After　this；　as　the　commandant　declined　to　take　the　evidence　of　Hans

because　he　was　a　Hottentot　and　my　servant；　I　addressed　the　court；

relating　exactly　what　had　taken　place　between　me　and　Dingaan；　and　how　I

and　Hans　came　to　escape　on　our　second　visit　to　his　kraal。　　I　pointed　out

also　that　unhappily　for　myself　I　could　not　prove　my　words；　since　Dingaan

was　not　available　as　a　witness；　and　all　the　others　were　dead。　　Further；

I　produced　my　letter　to　Marie；　which　was　endorsed　by　Retief；　and　the

letter　to　Retief　signed　by　Marais　and　Pereira　which　remained　in　my

possession。



By　the　time　that　I　had　finished　my　speech　the　sun　was　setting　and

everyone　was　tired　out。　　I　was　ordered　to　withdraw　under　guard；　while

the　court　consulted；　which　it　did　for　a　long　while。　　Then　I　was　called

forward　again　and　the　commandant　said：



〃Allan　Quatermain；　after　prayer　to　God　we　have　considered　this　case　to

the　best　of　our　judgment　and　ability。　　On　the　one　hand　we　note　that　you

are　an　Englishman；　a　member　of　a　race　which　hates　and　has　always

oppressed　our　people；　and　that　it　was　to　your　interest　to　get　rid　of　two

of　them　with　whom　you　had　quarrelled。　　The　evidence　of　Henri　Marais　and

Hernan　Pereira；　which　we　cannot　disbelieve；　shows　that　you　were　wicked

enough；　either　in　order　to　do　this；　or　because　of　your　malice　against

the　Boer　people；　to　plot　their　destruction　with　a　savage。　　The　result　is

that　some　seven　hundred　men；　women；　and　children　have　lost　their　lives

in　a　very　cruel　manner；　whereas　you；　your　servant；　your　wife　and　your

friends　have　alone　escaped　unharmed。　　For　such　a　crime　as　this　a　hundred

deaths　could　not　pay；　indeed；　God　alone　can　give　to　it　its　just

punishment；　and　to　Him　it　is　our　duty　to　send　you　to　be　judged。　　We

condemn　you　to　be　shot　as　a　traitor　and　a　murderer；　and　may　He　have

mercy　on　your　soul。〃