marie-第12节

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She　seems　to　have　done　the　distance　between　the　Mission　Station　and

Maraisfontein　in　wonderful　time；　as；　for　the　matter　of　that；　the　roan

did　too。　　I　have　taken　a　fancy　to　her；　after　a　gallop　on　her　back

yesterday　just　to　give　her　some　exercise；　and　although　I　don't　know　that

she　is　quite　up　to　my　weight；　I'll　buy　her。〃



〃The　mare　is　not　for　sale；　Heer　Pereira；〃　I　said；　speaking　for　the　first

time；　〃and　I　do　not　remember　giving　anyone　leave　to　exercise　her。〃



〃No；　your　father　did；　or　was　it　that　ugly　little　beast　of　a　Hottentot？　

I　forget　which。　　As　for　her　not　being　for　salewhy；　in　this　world

everything　is　for　sale；　at　a　price。　　I'll　give　youlet　me　seeoh；　what

does　the　money　matter　when　one　has　plenty？　　I'll　give　you　a　hundred

English　pounds　for　that　mare；　and　don't　you　think　me　a　fool。　　I　tell　you

I　mean　to　get　it　back；　and　more；　at　the　great　races　down　in　the　south。　

Now　what　do　you　say？〃



〃I　say　that　the　mare　is　not　for　sale；　Heer　Pereira。〃　　Then　a　thought

struck　me；　or　an　inspiration；　and；　as　has　always　been　my　fashion；　I

acted　on　it　at　once。　　〃But；〃　I　added　slowly；　〃if　you　like；　when　I　am　a

bit　stronger　I'll　shoot　you　a　match　for　her；　you　staking　your　hundred

pounds　and　I　staking　the　mare。〃



Pereira　burst　out　laughing。



〃Here；　friends；〃　he　called　to　some　of　the　Boers　who　were　strolling　up　to

the　house　for　their　morning　coffee。　　〃This　little　Englishman　wants　to

shoot　a　match　with　me；　staking　that　fine　mare　of　his　against　a　hundred

pounds　British；　against　me；　Hernando　Pereira；　who　have　won　every　prize

at　shooting　that　ever　I　entered　for。　　No；　no；　friend　Allan；　I　am　not　a

thief；　I　will　not　rob　you　of　your　mare。〃



Now　among　those　Boers　chanced　to　be　the　celebrated　Heer　Pieter　Retief；　a

very　fine　man　of　high　character；　then　in　the　prime　of　life；　and　of

Huguenot　descent　like　Heer　Marais。　　He　had　been　appointed　by　the

Government　one　of　the　frontier　commandants；　but　owing　to　some　quarrel

with　the　Lieutenant…Governor；　Sir　Andries　Stockenstrom；　had　recently

resigned　that　office；　and　at　this　date　was　engaged　in　organizing　the

trek　from　the　Colony。　　I　now　saw　Retief　for　the　first　time；　and　ah！　then

little　did　I　think　how　and　where　I　should　see　him　for　the　last。　　But　all

that　is　a　matter　of　history；　of　which　I　shall　have　to　tell　later。



Now；　while　Pereira　was　mocking　and　bragging　of　his　prowess；　Pieter

Retief　looked　at　me；　and　our　eyes　met。



〃Allemachte！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃is　that　the　young　man　who；　with　half　a

dozen　miserable　Hottentots　and　slaves；　held　this　stead　for　five　hours

against　all　the　Quabie　tribe　and　kept　them　out？〃



Somebody　said　that　it　was；　remarking　that　I　had　been　about　to　shoot

Marie　Marais　and　myself　when　help　came。



〃Then；　Heer　Allan　Quatermain；〃　said　Retief；　〃give　me　your　hand；〃　and　he

took　my　poor　wasted　fingers　in　his　big　palm；　adding；　〃Your　father　must

be　proud　of　you　to…day；　as　I　should　be　if　I　had　such　a　son。　　God　in

Heaven！　where　will　you　stop　if　you　can　go　so　far　while　you　are　yet　a

boy？　Friends；　since　I　came　here　yesterday　I　have　got　the　whole　story　for

myself　from　the　Kaffirs　and　from　this　'mooi　meisje'〃　（pretty　young

lady）；　and　he　nodded　towards　Marie。　　〃Also　I　have　gone　over　the　ground

and　the　house；　and　have　seen　where　each　man　fellit　is　easy　by　the

blood　marksmost　of　them　shot　by　yonder　Englishman；　except　one　of　the

last　three；　whom　he　killed　with　a　spear。　　Well；　I　tell　you　that　never　in

all　my　experience　have　I　known　a　better　arranged　or　a　more　finely

carried　out　defence　against　huge　odds。　　Perhaps　the　best　part　of　it；

too；　was　the　way　in　which　this　young　lion　acted　on　the　information　he

received　and　the　splendid　ride　he　made　from　the　Mission　Station。　　Again

I　say　that　his　father　should　be　proud　of　him。〃



〃Well；　if　it　comes　to　that；　I　am；　mynheer；〃　said　my　father；　who　just

then　joined　us　after　his　morning　walk；　〃although　I　beg　you　to　say　no

more　lest　the　lad　should　grow　vain。〃



〃Bah！〃　replied　Retief；　〃fellows　of　his　stamp　are　not　vain；　it　is　your

big　talkers　who　are　vain；〃　and　he　glanced　out　of　the　corner　of　his

shrewd　eye　at　Pereira；　〃your　turkey　cocks　with　all　their　tails　spread。　

I　think　this　little　chap　must　be　such　another　as　that　great　sailor　of

yourswhat　do　you　call　him；　Nelson？who　beat　the　French　into　frothed

eggs　and　died　to　live　for　ever。　　He　was　small；　too；　they　say；　and　weak

in　the　stomach。〃



I　must　confess　I　do　not　think　that　praise　ever　sounded　sweeter　in　my

ears　than　did　these　words　of　the　Commandant　Retief；　uttered　as　they　were

just　when　I　felt　crushed　to　the　dirt。　　Moreover；　as　I　saw　by　Marie's

and；　I　may　add；　by　my　father's　face；　there　were　other　ears　to　which　they

were　not　ungrateful。　　The　Boers　also；　brave　and　honest　men　enough；

evidently　appreciated　them；　for　they　said：



〃Ja！　ja！　das　ist　recht〃　（That　is　right）。



Only　Pereira　turned　his　broad　back　and　busied　himself　with　relighting

his　pipe；　which　had　gone　out。



Then　Retief　began　again。



〃What　is　it　you　were　calling　us　to　listen　to；　Mynheer　Pereira？　　That

this　Heer　Allan　Quatermain　had　offered　to　shoot　you　a　match？　　Well；　why

not？　　If　he　can　hit　Kaffirs　running　at　him　with　spears；　as　he　has　done；

he　may　be　able　to　hit　other　things　also。　　You　say　that　you　won't　rob　him

of　his　moneyno；　it　was　his　beautiful　horsebecause　you　have　taken　so

many　prizes　shooting　at　targets。　　But　did　_you_　ever　hit　a　Kaffir

running　at　_you_　with　an　assegai；　mynheer；　you　who　live　down　there　where

everything　is　safe？　　If　so；　I　never　heard　of　it。〃



Pereira　answered　that　he　did　not　understand　me　to　propose　a　shooting

match　at　Kaffirs　charging　with　assegais；　but　at　something　elsehe　knew

not　what。



〃Quite　so；〃　said　Retief。　　〃Well；　Mynheer　Allan；　what　is　it　that　you　do

propose？〃



〃That　we　should　stand　in　the　great　kloof　between　the　two　_vleis_

yonderthe　Heer　Marais　knows　the　placewhen　the　wild　geese　flight　over

an　hour　before　sunset；　and　that　he　who　brings　down　six　of　them　in　the

fewest　shots　shall　win　the　match。〃



〃If　our　guns　are　loaded　with　loopers　that　will　not　be　difficult；〃　said

Pereira。



〃With　loopers　you　would　seldom　kill　a　bird；　mynheer；〃　I　replied；　〃for

they　come　over　from　seventy　to　a　hundred　yards　up。　　No；　I　mean　with

rifles。〃



〃Allemachte！〃　broke　in　a　Boer；　〃you　will　want　plenty　of　ammunition　to

hit　a　goose　at　that　height　with　a　bullet。〃



〃That　is　my　offer；〃　I　said；　〃to　which　I　add　this；　that　when　twenty　shots

have　been　fired　by　each　man；　he　who　has　killed　the　most　birds　wins；　even

if　he　has　not　brought　down　the　full　six。　　Does　the　Heer　Pereira　accept？　

If　so；　I　will　venture　to　match　myself　against　him；　although　he　has　won

so　many　prizes。〃



The　Heer　Pereira　seemed　extremely　doubtful；　so　doubtful；　indeed；　that

the　Boers　began　to　laugh　at　him。　　In　the　end　he　grew　rather　angry；　and

said　that　he　was　willing　to　shoot　me　at　bucks　or　swallows；　or　fireflies；

or　anything　else　I　liked。



〃Then　let　it　be　at　geese；〃　I　answered；　〃since　it　is　likely　to　be

sometime　before　I　am　strong　enough　to　ride　after　buck　or　other　wild

things。〃'



So　the　terms　of　the　match　were　formally　written　down　by　Marie；　as　my

father；　although　he　took　a　keen　sporting　interest　in　the　result；　would

have　nothing　to　do　with　what　he　called　a　〃wager　for　money；〃　and；　except

myself；　there　was　no　one　else　present　with　sufficient　scholarship　to　pen

a　long　document。　　Then　we　both　signed　them；　Hernan　Pereira　not　very

willingly；　I　thought；　and　if　my　recovery　was　sufficiently　rapid；　the

date　was　fixed　for　that　day　week。　　In　case　of　any　disagreement；　the　Heer

Retief；　who　was　staying　at　Maraisfontein；　or　in　its　neighbourhood；　for　a

while；　was　appointed　referee　and　stakeholder。　　It　was　also　arranged　that

neither　of　us　should　visit　the　appointed　place；　or　shoot　at　the　geese

before　the　match。　　Still　we　were　at　liberty　to　practise　as　much　as　we

liked　at　anything　else　in　the　interval　and　to　make　use　of　any　kind　of

rifle　that　suited　us　best。



By　the　time　that　these　arrangements　were　finished；　feeling　quite　tired

with　all　the　emotions　of　the　morning；　I　was　carried　back　to　my　room。　

Here　my　midday　meal；　cooked　by　Marie；　was　brought　to　me。　　As　I　finished

eating　it；　for　the　fresh　air　had　given　me　an　appetite；　my　father　came

in；　accompanied　by　the　Heer　Marais；　and　began　to　talk　to　me。　　Presently

the　latter　asked　me　kindly　enough　if　I　thought　I　should　be　sufficiently

strong　to　trek　back　to　the　station　that　afternoon　in　an　ox…cart　with

springs　to　it　and　lying　at　full　length　upon　a　hide…strung　〃cartel〃　or

mattress。



I　answered；　〃Certainly；〃　as　I　should　have　done　had　I　been　at　the　point

of　death；　for　I　saw　that　he　wished　to　be　rid　of　me。



〃The　fact　is；　Allan；〃　he　said　awkwardly；　〃I　am　not　inhospitable　as　you

may　think；　especially　towards　one　to　whom　I　owe　so　much。　　But　you　and　my

nephew；　Hernan；　do　not　seem　to　get　on　very　well　together；　and；　as　you

may　guess；　having　just　been　almost　beggared；　I　desire　no　unpleasantness

with　the　o