marie-第13节

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

with　the　only　rich　member　of　my　family。〃



I　replied　I　was　sure　I　did　not　wish　to　be　the　cause　of　any。　　It　seemed

to　me；　however；　that　the　Heer　Pereira　wished　to　make　a　mock　of　me　and　to

bring　it　home　to　me　what　a　poor　creature　I　was　compared　to　himselfI　a

mere　sick　boy　who　was　worth　nothing。



〃I　know；〃　said　Marais　uneasily；　〃my　nephew　has　been　too　fortunate　in

life；　and　is　somewhat　overbearing　in　his　manner。　　He　does　not　remember

that　the　battle　is　not　always　to　the　strong　or　the　race　to　the　swift；　he

who　is　young　and　rich　and　handsome；　a　spoiled　child　from　the　first。　　I

am　sorry；　but　what　I　cannot　help　I　must　put　up　with。　　If　I　cannot　have

my　mealies　cooked；　I　must　eat　them　green。　　Also；　Allan；　have　you　never

heard　that　jealousy　sometimes　makes　people　rude　and　unjust？〃　　and　he

looked　at　me　meaningly。



I　made　no　answer；　for　when　one　does　not　quite　know　what　to　say　it　is

often　best　to　remain　silent；　and　he　went　on：



〃I　am　vexed　to　hear　of　this　foolish　shooting　match　which　has　been

entered　into　without　my　knowledge　or　consent。　　if　he　wins　he　will　only

laugh　at　you　the　more；　and　if　you　win　he　will　be　angry。〃



〃It　was　not　my　fault；　mynheer；〃　I　answered。　　〃He　wanted　to　force　me　to

sell　the　mare；　which　he　had　been　riding　without　my　leave；　and　kept

bragging　about　his　marksmanship。　　So　at　last　I　grew　cross　and　challenged

him。〃



〃No　wonder；　Allan；　I　do　not　blame　you。　　Still；　you　are　silly；　for　it

will　not　matter　to　him　if　he　loses　his　money；　but　that　beautiful　mare　is

your　ewe…lamb；　and　I　should　be　sorry　to　see　you　parted　from　a　beast

which　has　done　us　so　good　a　turn。　　Well；　there　it　is；　perhaps

circumstances　may　yet　put　an　end　to　this　trial；　I　hope　so。〃



〃I　hope　they　won't；〃　I　answered　stubbornly。



〃I　dare　say　you　do；　being　sore　as　a　galled　horse　just　now。　　But　listen；

Allan；　and　you；　too；　Predicant　Quatermain；　there　are　other　and　more

important　reasons　than　this　petty　squabble　why　I　should　be　glad　if　you

could　go　away　for　a　while。　　I　must　take　counsel　with　my　countrymen　about

certain　secret　matters　which　have　to　do　with　our　welfare　and　future；

and；　of　course　they　would　not　like　it　if　all　the　while　there　were　two

Englishmen　on　the　place；　whom　they　might　think　were　spies。〃



〃Say　no　more；　Heer　Marais；〃　broke　in　my　father　hotly；　〃still　less　should

we　like　to　be　where　we　are　not　wanted　or　are　looked　upon　with　suspicion

for　the　crime　of　being　English。　　By　God's　blessing；　my　son　has　been　able

to　do　some　service　to　you　and　yours；　but　now　that　is　all　finished　and

forgotten。　　Let　the　cart　you　are　so　kind　as　to　lend　us　be　inspanned。　　We

will　go　at　once。〃



Then　Henri　Marais；　who　was　a　gentleman　at　bottom；　although；　even　in

those　early　days；　violent　and　foolish　when　excited　or　under　the

influence　of　his　race　prejudices；　began　to　apologise　quite　humbly；

assuring　my　father　that　he　forgot　nothing　and　meant　no　offence。　　So　they

patched　the　matter　up；　and　an　hour　later　we　started。



All　the　Boers　came　to　see　us　off；　giving　me　many　kind　words　and　saying

how　much　they　looked　forward　to　meeting　me　again　on　the　following

Thursday。　　Pereira；　who　was　among　them；　was　also　very　genial；　begging　me

to　be　sure　and　get　well；　since　he　did　not　wish　to　beat　one　who　was　still

crippled；　even　at　a　game　of　goose　shooting。　　I　answered　that　I　would　do

my　best；　as　for　my　part；　I　did　not　like　being　beaten　it　any　game　which　I

had　set　my　heart　on　winning；　whether　it　were　little　or　big。　　Then　I

turned　my　head；　for　I　was　lying　on　my　back　all　this　time；　to　bid

good…bye　to　Marie；　who　had　slipped　out　of　the　house　into　the　yard　where

the　cart　was。



〃Good…bye；　Allan；〃　she　said；　giving　me　her　hand　and　a　look　from　her　eyes

that　I　trusted　was　not　seen。　　Then；　under　pretence　of　arranging　the

kaross　which　was　over　me；　she　bent　down　and　whispered　swiftly：



〃Win　that　match　if　you　love　me。　　I　shall　pray　God　that　you　may　every

night；　for　it　will　be　an　omen。〃



I　think　the　whisper　was　heard；　though　not　the　words；　for　I　saw　Pereira

bite　his　lip　and　make　a　movement　as　though　to　interrupt　her。　　But　Pieter

Retief　thrust　his　big　form　in　front　of　him　rather　rudely；　and　said　with

one　of　his　hearty　laughs：



〃Allemachte！　friend；　let　the　missje　wish　a　good　journey　to　the　young

fellow　who　saved　her　life。〃



Next　moment　Hans；　the　Hottentot；　screamed　at　the　oxen　in　the　usual

fashion；　and　we　rolled　away　through　the　gate。



But　oh！　if　I　had　liked　the　Heer　Retief　before；　now　I　loved　him。







CHAPTER　V









THE　SHOOTING　MATCH











My　journey　back　to　the　Mission　Station　was　a　strange　contrast　to　that

which　I　had　made　thence　a　few　days　before。　　Then；　the　darkness；　the

swift　mare　beneath　me　rushing　through　it　like　a　bird；　the　awful　terror

in　my　heart　lest　I　should　be　too　late；　as　with　wild　eyes　I　watched　the

paling　stars　and　the　first　gathering　grey　of　dawn。　　Now；　the　creaking　of

the　ox…cart；　the　familiar　veld；　the　bright　glow　of　the　peaceful

sunlight；　and　in　my　heart　a　great　thankfulness；　and　yet　a　new　terror

lest　the　pure　and　holy　love　which　I　had　won　should　be　stolen　away　from

me　by　force　or　fraud。



Well；　as　the　one　matter　had　been　in　the　hand　of　God；　so　was　the　other；

and　with　that　knowledge　I　must　be　content。　　The　first　trial　had　ended　in

death　and　victory。　　How　would　the　second　end？　I　wondered；　and　those

words　seemed　to　jumble　themselves　up　in　my　mind　and　shape　a　sentence

that　it　did　not　conceive。　　It　was：　〃In　the　victory　that　is　death；〃

which；　when　I　came　to　think　of　it；　of　course；　meant　nothing。　　How

victory　could　be　death　I　did　not　understandat　any　rate；　at　that　time；

I　who　was　but　a　lad　of　small　experience。



As　we　trekked　along　comfortably　enough；　for　the　road　was　good　and　the

cart；　being　on　springs；　gave　my　leg　no　pain；　I　asked　my　father　what　he

thought　that　the　Heer　Marais　had　meant　when　he　told　us　that　the　Boers

had　business　at　Maraisfontein；　during　which　our　presence　as　Englishmen

would　not　be　agreeable　to　them。



〃Meant；　Allan？　　He　meant　that　these　traitorous　Dutchmen　are　plotting

against　their　sovereign；　and　are　afraid　lest　we　should　report　their

treason。　　Either　they　intend　to　rebel　because　of　that　most　righteous

act；　the　freeing　of　the　slaves；　and　because　we　will　not　kill　out　all　the

Kaffirs　with　whom　they　chance　to　quarrel；　or　to　trek　from　the　Colony。　

For　my　part　I　think　it　will　be　the　latter；　for；　as　you　have　heard；　some

parties　have　already　gone；　and；　unless　I　am　mistaken；　many　more　mean　to

follow；　Marais　and　Retief　and　that　plotter；　Pereira；　among　them。　　Let

them　go；　I　say；　the　sooner　the　better；　for　I　have　no　doubt　that　the

English　flag　will　follow　them　in　due　course。〃



〃I　hope　that　they　won't；〃　I　answered　with　a　nervous　laugh；　〃at　any　rate；

until　I　have　won　back　my　mare。〃　　（I　had　left　her　in　Retief's　care　as

stakeholder；　until　the　match　should　be　shot　off。）



For　the　rest　of　that　two　and　a　half　hours'　trek　my　father；　looking　very

dignified　and　patriotic；　declaimed　to　me　loudly　about　the　bad　behaviour

of　the　Boers；　who　hated　and　traduced　missionaries；　loathed　and

abominated　British　rule　and　permanent　officials；　loved　slavery　and

killed　Kaffirs　whenever　they　got　the　chance。　　I　listened　to　him

politely；　for　it　was　not　wise　to　cross　my　parent　when　he　was　in　that

humour。　　Also；　having　mixed　a　great　deal　with　the　Dutch；　I　knew　that

there　was　another　side　to　the　question；　namely；　that　the　missionaries

sometimes　traduced　them　（as；　in　fact；　they　did）；　and　that　British　rule；

or　rather；　party　government；　played　strange　tricks　with　the　interests　of

distant　dependencies。　　That　permanent　officials　and　im…permanent　ones

toosuch　as　governors　full　of　a　little　brief　authorityoften

misrepresented　and　oppressed　them。　　That　Kaffirs；　encouraged　by　the

variegated　policy　of　these　party　governments　and　their　servants；

frequently　stole　their　stock；　and　if　they　found　a　chance；　murdered　them

with　their　women　and　children；　as　they　had　tried　to　do　at　Maraisfontein；

though　there；　it　is　true；　they　had　some　provocation。　　That　British

virtue　had　liberated　the　slaves　without　paying　their　owners　a　fair　price

for　them；　and　so　forth。



But；　to　tell　the　truth；　it　was　not　of　these　matters　of　high　policy；

which　were　far　enough　away　from　a　humble　youth　like　myself；　that　I　was

thinking。　　What　appealed　to　me　and　made　my　heart　sick　was　the　reflection

that　if　Henri　Marais　and　his　friends　trekked；　Marie　Marais　must　perforce

trek　with　them；　and　that　whereas　I；　an　Englishman；　could　not　be　of　that

adventurous　company；　Hernando　Pereira　both　could　and　would。





On　the　day　following　our　arrival　home；　what　between　the　fresh　air；

plenty　of　good　food；　for　which　I　found　I　had　an　appetite；　and　liberal

doses　of　Pontaca　generous　Cape　wine　that　is　a　kind　of　cross　between

port　and　BurgundyI　found　myself　so　much　better　that　I　was　able　to　hop

about　the　place　upon　a　pair　of　crutches　which