marie-第50章

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

mercy　on　your　soul。〃



At　these　dreadful　words　Marie　fell　to　the　ground　fainting　and　a　pause

ensued　while　she　was　carried　off　to　the　Prinsloos'　house；　whither　the

vrouw　followed　to　attend　her。　　Then　the　commandant　went　on：



〃Still；　although　we　have　thus　passed　judgment　on　you；　because　you　are　an

Englishman　against　whom　it　might　be　said　that　we　had　prejudices；　and

because　you　have　had　no　opportunity　of　preparing　a　defence；　and　no

witnesses　to　the　facts；　since　all　those　whom　you　say　you　could　have

called　are　dead；　we　think　it　right　that　this　unanimous　sentence　of　ours

should　be　confirmed　by　a　general　court　of　the　emigrant　Boers。　　Therefore

to…morrow　morning　you　will　be　taken　with　us　to　the　Bushman's　River　camp；

where　the　case　will　be　settled；　and；　if　necessary；　execution　done　in

accordance　with　the　verdict　of　the　generals　and　veld…cornets　of　that

camp。　　Meanwhile　you　will　be　kept　in　custody　in　your　own　house。　　Now

have　you　anything　to　say　against　this　sentence？〃



〃Yes；　this；〃　I　answered；　〃that　although　you　do　not　know　it；　it　is　an

unjust　sentence；　built　up　on　the　lies　of　one　who　has　always　been　my

enemy；　and　of　a　man　whose　brain　is　rotten。　　I　never　betrayed　the　Boers。　

If　anyone　betrayed　them　it　was　Hernan　Pereira　himself；　who；　as　I　proved

to　the　General　Retief；　had　been　praying　Dingaan　to　kill　me；　and　whom

Retief　threatened　to　put　upon　his　trial　for　this　very　crime；　for　which

reason　and　no　other　Pereira　fled　from　the　kraal；　taking　his　tool　Henri

Marais　with　him。　　You　have　asked　God　to　judge　me。　　Well；　I　ask　God　to

judge　him　and　Henri　Marais　also；　and　I　know　He　will　in　one　way　or

another。　　As　for　me；　I　am　ready　to　die；　as　I　have　been　for　months　while

serving　the　cause　of　you　Boers。　　Shoot　me　now　if　you　will；　and　make　an

end。　　But　I　tell　you　that　if　I　escape　your　hands　I　will　not　suffer　this

treatment　to　go　unpunished。　　I　will　lay　my　case　before　the　rulers　of　my

people；　and　if　necessary　before　my　Queen；　yes；　if　I　have　to　travel　to

London　to　do　it；　and　you　Boers　shall　learn　that　you　cannot　condemn　an

innocent　Englishman　upon　false　testimony　and　not　pay　the　price。　　I　tell

you　that　price　shall　be　great　if　I　live；　and　if　I　die　it　shall　be

greater　still。〃



Now　these　words；　very　foolish　words；　I　admit；　which　being　young　and

inexperienced　I　spoke　in　my　British　pride；　I　could　see　made　a　great

impression　upon　my　judges。　　They　believed；　to　be　fair　to　them；　that　they

had　passed　a　just　sentence。　　Blinded　by　prejudice　and　falsehood；　and

maddened　by　the　dreadful　losses　their　people　had　suffered　during　the

past　few　days　at　the　hands　of　a　devilish　savage；　they　believed　that　I

was　the　instigator　of　those　losses；　one　who　ought　to　die。　　Indeed；　all；

or　nearly　all　the　Boers　were　persuaded　that　Dingaan　was　urged　to　this

massacre　by　the　counsels　of　Englishmen。　　The　mere　fact　of　my　own　and　my

servant's　miraculous　escape；　when　all　my　companions　had　perished；　proved

my　guilt　to　them　without　the　evidence　of　Pereira；　which；　being　no

lawyers；　they　thought　sufficient　to　justify　their　verdict。



Still；　they　had　an　uneasy　suspicion　that　this　evidence　was　not

conclusive；　and　might　indeed　be　rejected　in　toto　by　a　more　competent

court　upon　various　grounds。　　Also　they　knew　themselves　to　be　rebels　who

had　no　legal　right　to　form　a　court；　and　feared　the　power　of　the　long　arm

of　England；　from　which　for　a　little　while　they　had　escaped。　　If　I　were

allowed　to　tell　my　tale　to　the　Parliament　in　London；　what　might　not

happen　to　them；　they　wonderedto　them　who　had　ventured　to　pass　sentence

of　death　upon　a　subject　of　the　Queen　of　Great　Britain？　　Might　not　this

turn　the　scale　against　them？　　Might　not　Britain　arise　in　wrath　and　crush

them；　these　men　who　dared　to　invoke　her　forms　of　law　in　order　to　kill

her　citizen？　　Those；　as　I　learned　afterwards；　were　the　thoughts　that

passed　through　their　minds。



Also　another　thought　passed　through　their　mindsthat　if　the　sentence

were　executed　at　once；　a　dead　man　cannot　appeal；　and　that　here　I　had　no

friends　to　take　up　my　cause　and　avenge　me。　　But　of　all　this　they　said

nothing。　　Only　at　a　sign　I　was　marched　away　to　my　little　house　and

imprisoned　under　guard。



Now　I　propose　to　tell　the　rest　of　the　history　of　these　tragic　events　as

they　happened；　although　some　of　them　did　not　come　to　my　knowledge　till

the　morrow　or　afterwards；　for　I　think　this　will　be　the　more　simple　and

the　easier　plan。







CHAPTER　XXI









THE　INNOCENT　BLOOD











After　I　had　been　taken　away　it　seems　that　the　court　summoned　Hernan

Pereira　and　Henri　Marais　to　accompany　them　to　a　lonely　spot　at　a

distance；　where　they　thought　that　their　deliberations　would　not　be

overheard。　　In　this；　however；　they　were　mistaken；　having　forgotten　the

fox…like　cunning　of　the　Hottentot；　Hans。　　Hans　had　heard　me　sentenced；

and　probably　enough　feared　that　he　who　also　had　committed　the　crime　of

escaping　from　Dingaan；　might　be　called　on　to　share　that　sentence。　　Also

he　wished　to　know　the　secret　counsel　of　these　Boers；　whose　language；　of

course；　he　understood　as　well　as　he　did　his　own。



So　making　a　circuit　up　the　hillside；　he　crept　towards　them　on　his　belly

as　a　snake　creeps；　wriggling　in　and　out　between　the　tufts　of　last　year's

dead　grass；　which　grew　here　in　plenty；　without　so　much　as　moving　their

tops。　　At　length　he　lay　still　in　the　centre　of　a　bush　that　grew　behind　a

stone　not　five　paces　from　where　they　were　talking；　whence　he　listened

intently　to　every　word　that　passed　their　lips。



This　was　the　substance　of　their　talk；　that　for　the　reasons　I　have

already　mentioned　it　would　be　best　that　I　should　die　at　once。　　Sentence；

said　the　commandant；　had　been　passed；　and　could　not　be　rescinded；　since

even　if　it　were；　their　offence　would　remain　as　heavy　in　the　eyes　of　the

English　authorities。　　But　if　they　took　me　to　their　main　camp　to　be

re…tried　by　their　great　council；　possibly　that　sentence　might　be

rescinded　and　they　be　left　individually　and　collectively　to　atone　for

what　they　had　done。　　Also　they　knew　that　I　was　very　clever　and　might

escape　in　some　other　way　to　bring　the　English；　or　possibly　the　Zulus；

upon　them；　since　they　felt　convinced　that　Dingaan　and　I　were　working

together　for　their　destruction；　and　that　while　I　had　breath　in　my　body　I

should　never　cease　my　efforts　to　be　avenged。



When　it　was　found　that　they　were　all　of　one　mind　in　this　matter；　the

question　arose：　What　should　be　done？　　Somebody　suggested　that　I　should

be　shot　at　once；　but　the　commandant　pointed　out　that　such　a　deed；　worked

at　night；　would　look　like　murder；　especially　as　it　violated　the　terms　of

their　verdict。



Then　another　suggestion　was　made：　that　I　should　be　brought　out　of　my

house　just　before　the　dawn　on　pretence　that　it　was　time　to　ride；　that

then　I　should　be　given　the　opportunity　of　escape　and　instantly　shot

down。　　Or　it　might　be　pretended　that　I　had　tried　to　escape；　with　a　like

result。　　Who；　they　urged；　was　to　know　in　that　half…light　whether　I　had

or　had　not　actually　attempted　to　run　for　my　life；　or　to　threaten　their

lives；　circumstances　under　which　the　law　said　it　was　justifiable　to

shoot　a　prisoner　already　formally　condemned　to　death？



To　this　black　counsel　they　all　agreed；　being　so　terribly　afraid　of　a

poor　English　lad　whose　existence；　although　most　of　them　did　not　know

this；　was　to　be　taken　from　him　upon　false　evidence。　　But　then　arose

another　question：　By　whose　hand　should　the　thing　be　done？　　Not　one　of

them；　it　would　seem；　was　anxious　to　fulfil　this　bloody　office；　indeed；

they　one　and　all　refused　to　do　so。　　A　proposal　was　put　forward　that　some

of　their　native　servants　should　be　forced　to　serve　as　executioners；　but

when　this　had　been　vetoed　by　the　general　sense　of　the　court；　their

counsels　came　to　a　deadlock。



Then；　after　a　whispered　conference；　the　commandant　spoke　some　dreadful

words。



〃Hernando　Pereira　and　Henri　Marais；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　on　your　evidence

that　this　young　man　has　been　condemned。　　We　believe　that　evidence；　but

if　by　one　jot　or　one　tittle　it　is　false；　then　not　justice；　but　a　foul

murder　will　have　been　committed　and　his　innocent　blood　will　be　upon　your

heads　for　ever。　　Hernando　Pereira　and　Henri　Marais；　the　court　appoints

you　to　be　the　guards　who　will　bring　the　prisoner　out　of　his　house

to…morrow　morning　just　when　the　sky　begins　to　lighten。　　It　is　from　_you_

that　he　will　try　to　escape；　and　_you_　will　prevent　his　escape　by　his

death。　　Then　you　must　join　us　where　we　shall　be　waiting　for　you　and

report　the　execution。〃



When　Henri　Marais　heard　this　he　exclaimed：



〃I　swear　by　God　that　I　cannot　do　it。　　Is　it　right　or　natural　that　a　man

should　be　forced　to　kill　his　own　son…in…law？〃



〃You　could　bear　evidence　against　your　own　son…in…law；　Henri　Marais；〃

answered　the　stern…faced　commandant。　　〃Why　then　cannot　you　kill　with

your　rifle　one　whom　you　have　already　helped　to　kill　with　your　tongue？〃



〃I　will　not；　I　cannot！〃　said　Marais；　tearing　at　his　beard。　　But　the

commandant　only　answered　coldly：



〃You　have　the　orders　of　the　court；　and　if　you　choose　to　disobey　them　we

shall　begin　to　believe　that　you　have　sworn　falsely。　　Then　you　and　your

nephew　will　also　appear　before　the　great　council　when　the　Englishman　is

tried　again。　　Still；　it　matters　nothing　to　us　whether　you　or　Hernando

Pereira　shall　fire　the　shot。　　See　you　to　it；　as　the　Jews　said　to　Judas

who　had　betrayed　the　innocent　Lord。〃



Then　he　paused　and　went　on；　addressing　Pereira：



〃Do　you　also　refuse；　Hernando　Pereira？　　Remember　before　you　answer　that

if　you　do　refuse　we　shall　draw　our　own　conclusions。　　Remember；　too；　that

the　evidence　which　you　have　given；　showing　that　this　wicked　Englishman

plotted　and　caused　the　deaths　of　our　brothers　and　of　our　wives　and

children；　which　we　believe　to　be　true　evidence；　shall　be　weighed　and

investigated　word　by　word　before　the　great　council。〃



〃To　give　evidence　is　one　thing；　and　to　shoot　the　traitor　and　murderer

another；〃　said　Pereira。　　Then　he　added　with　an　oath；　or　so　vowed　Hans：

〃Yet　why　should　I；　who　know　all　this　villain's　guilt；　refuse　to　carry

out　the　sentence　of　the　law　on　him？　　Have　no　fear；　commandant；　the

accursed　Allan　Quatermain　shall　not　succeed　in　his　attempt　to　escape

to…morrow　before　the　dawn。〃



〃So　be　it；〃　said　the　commandant。　　〃Now；　do　all　you　who　have　heard　those

words　take　note　of　them。〃



Then　Hans；　seeing　that　the　council　was　about　to　break　up；　and　fearing

lest　he　should　be　caught　and　killed；　slipped　away　by　the　same　road　that

he　had　come。　　His　thought　was　to　warn　me；　but　this　he　could　not　do

because　of　the　guards。　　So　he　went　to　the　Prinsloos；　and　finding　the

vrouw　alone　with　Marie；　who　had　recovered　her　mind；　told　them　everything

that　he　had　heard。



As　he　said；　Marie　knelt　down　and　prayed；　or　thought　for　a　long　while；

then　rose　and　spoke。



〃Tante；〃　she　said　to　the　vrouw；