marie-第24节

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There　were　but　fifty　miles　to　go；　a　distance　that　on　a　fair　road　any

good　horse　would　cover　in　eight　hours；　or　less。　　But　we　had　no　horses；

and　there　was　no　roadnothing　but　swamps　and　bush　and　rocky　hills。　

With　our　untrained　cattle　it　took　us　three　days　to　travel　the　first

twelve　miles；　though　after　that　things　went　somewhat　better。



It　may　be　asked；　why　did　I　not　send　on？　　But　whom　could　I　send　when　no

one　knew　the　way；　except　the　woman；　Jeel；　whom　I　feared　to　part　with

lest　I　should　see　her　no　more？　　Moreover；　what　was　the　use　of　sending；

since　the　messengers　could　take　no　help？　　If　everyone　at　the　camp　was

dead；　as　rumour　told　uswell；　they　were　dead。　　And　if　they　lived；　the

hope　was　that　they　might　live　a　little　longer。　　Meanwhile；　I　dared　not

part　with　my　guide；　nor　dared　I　leave　the　relief　wagons　to　go　on　with

her　alone。　　If　I　did　so；　I　knew　that　I　should　never　see　them　again；

since　only　the　prestige　of　their　being　owned　by　a　white　man　who　was　not

a　Portuguese　prevented　the　natives　from　looting　them。



It　was　a　truly　awful　journey。　　My　first　idea　had　been　to　follow　the

banks　of　the　Crocodile　River；　which　is　what　I　should　have　attempted　had

I　not　chanced　on　the　woman；　Jeel。　　Lucky　was　it　that　I　did　not　do　so；

since　I　found　afterwards　that　this　river　wound　about　a　great　deal　and

was　joined　by　impassable　tributaries。　　Also　it　was　bordered　by　forests。　

Jeel's　track；　on　the　contrary；　followed　an　old　slave　road　that；　bad　as

it　was；　avoided　the　swampy　places　of　the　surrounding　country；　and　those

native　tribes　which　the　experience　of　generations　of　the　traders　in　this

iniquitous　traffic　showed　to　be　most　dangerous。





Nine　days　of　fearful　struggle　had　gone　by。　　We　had　camped　one　night

below　the　crest　of　a　long　slope　strewn　with　great　rocks；　many　of　which

we　were　obliged　to　roll　out　of　the　path　by　main　force　in　order　to　make　a

way　for　the　wagons。　　The　oxen　had　to　lie　in　their　yokes　all　night；　since

we　dared　not　let　them　loose　fearing　lest　they　should　stray；　also　lions

were　roaring　in　the　distance；　although；　game　being　plentiful；　these　did

not　come　near　to　us。　　As　soon　as　there　was　any　light　we　let　out　the

teams　to　fill　themselves　on　the　tussocky　grass　that　grew　about；　and

meanwhile　cooked　and　ate　some　food。



Presently　the　sun　rose；　and　I　saw　that　beneath　us　was　a　great　stretch　of

plain　covered　with　mist；　and　to　the　north；　on　our　right；　several　denser

billows　of　mist　that　marked　the　course　of　the　Crocodile　River。



By　degrees　this　mist　lifted；　tall　tops　of　trees　appearing　above　it；　till

at　length　it　thinned　into　vapour　that　vanished　away　as　the　sun　rose。　　As

I　watched　it　idly；　the　woman；　Jeel；　crept　up　to　me　in　her　furtive

fashion；　touched　me　on　the　shoulder　and　pointed　to　a　distant　group　of

trees。



Looking　closely　at　these　trees；　I　saw　between　them　what　at　first　I　took

for　some　white　rocks。　　Further　examination；　as　the　mist　cleared；

suggested　to　my　mind；　however；　that　they　might　be　wagon　tilts。　　Just

then　the　Zulu　who　understood　Jeel's　talk　came　up。　　I　asked　him　as　well

as　I　could；　for　at　that　time　my　knowledge　of　his　tongue　was　very

imperfect；　what　she　wished　to　say。　　He　questioned　her；　and　answered　that

she　desired　to　tell　me　that　those　were　the　moving　houses　of　the　Amaboona

（the　Boer　people）；　just　where　she　had　seen　them　nearly　two　moons　ago。



At　this　tidings　my　heart　seemed　to　stand　still；　so　that　for　more　than　a

minute　I　could　not　speak。　　There　were　the　wagons　at　last；　butoh！　who

and　what　should　I　find　in　them？　　I　called　Hans　and　bade　him　inspan　as

quickly　as　possible；　explaining　to　him　that　yonder　was　Marais's　camp。



〃Why　not　let　the　oxen　fill　themselves　first；　baas？〃　he　answered。　　〃There

is　no　hurry；　for　though　the　wagons　are　there；　no　doubt　all　the　people

are　dead　long　ago。〃



〃Do　what　I　bid　you；　you　ill…omened　beast；〃　I　said；　〃instead　of　croaking

of　death　like　a　crow。　　And　listen：　I　am　going　to　walk　forward　to　that

camp；　you　must　follow　with　the　wagons　as　fast　as　they　can　travel。〃



〃No；　baas；　it　is　not　safe　that　you　should　go　alone。　　Kaffirs　or　wild

beasts　might　take　you。〃



〃Safe　or　not；　I　am　going；　but　if　you　think　it　wise；　tell　two　of　those

Zulus　to　come　with　me。〃



A　few　minutes　later　I　was　on　the　road；　followed　by　the　two　Kaffirs　armed

with　spears。　　In　my　youth　I　was　a　good　runner；　being　strong　of　leg　and

light　in　body；　but　I　do　not　think　that　I　ever　covered　seven　miles；　for

that　was　about　the　distance　to　the　camp；　in　quicker　time　than　I　did　that

morning。　　Indeed；　I　left　those　active　Kaffirs　so　far　behind　that　when　I

approached　the　trees　they　were　not　in　sight。　　Here　I　dropped　to　a　walk；

as　I　said　to　myselfto　get　my　breath。　　Really　it　was　because　I　felt　so

terrified　at　what　I　might　find　that　I　delayed　the　discovery　just　for　one

minute　more。　　While　I　approached；　hope；　however　faint；　still　remained；

when　I　arrived；　hope　might　be　replaced　by　everlasting　despair。



Now　I　could　see　that　there　were　some　shanties　built　behind　the　wagons；

doubtless　those　〃rude　houses〃　of　which　Marie　had　written。　　But　I　could

not　see　anyone　moving　about　them；　or　any　cattle　or　any　smoke；　or　other

sign　of　life。　　Nor　could　I　hear　a　single　sound。



Doubtless；　thought　I　to　myself；　Hans　is　right。　　They　are　all　long　dead。



My　agony　of　suspense　was　replaced　by　an　icy　calm。　　At　length　I　knew　the

worst。　　It　was　finishedI　had　striven　in　vain。　　I　walked　through　the

outlying　trees　and　between　two　of　the　wagons。　　One　of　these　I　noticed；

as　we　do　notice　things　at　such　times；　was　the　same　in　which　Marais　had

trekked　with　his　daughter；　his　favourite　wagon　that　once　I　had　helped　to

fit　with　a　new　dissel…boom。



Before　me　were　the　rough　houses　built　of　the　branches　of　trees；　daubed

over　with　mud；　or　rather　the　backs　of　them；　for　they　faced　west。　　I

stood　still　for　a　moment；　and　as　I　stood　thought　that　I　heard　a　faint

sound　as　of　someone　reciting　slowly。　　I　crept　along　the　end　of　the

outermost　house　and；　rubbing　the　cold　sweat　from　my　eyes；　peeped　round

the　corner；　for　it　occurred　to　me　that　savages　might　be　in　possession。　

Then　I　saw　what　caused　the　sound。　　A　tattered；　blackened；　bearded　man

stood　at　the　head　of　a　long　and　shallow　hole　saying　a　prayer。



It　was　Henri　Marais；　although　at　the　time　I　did　not　recognise　him；　so

changed　was　he。　　A　number　of　little　mounds　to　the　right　and　left　of　him

told　me；　however；　that　the　hole　was　a　grave。　　As　I　watched　two　more　men

appeared；　dragging　between　them　the　body　of　a　woman；　which　evidently

they　had　not　strength　to　carry；　as　its　legs　trailed　upon　the　ground。　

From　the　shape　of　the　corpse　it　seemed　to　be　that　of　a　tall　young　woman；

but　the　features　I　could　not　see；　because　it　was　being　dragged　face

downwards。　　Also　the　long　hair　hanging　from　the　head　hid　them。　　It　was

dark　hair；　like　Marie's。　　They　reached　the　grave；　and　tumbled　their　sad

burden　into　it；　but　II　could　not　stir！



At　length　my　limbs　obeyed　my　will。　　I　went　forward　to　the　men　and　said

in　a　hollow　voice　in　Dutch：



〃Whom　do　you　bury？〃



〃Johanna　Meyer；〃　answered　someone　mechanically；　for　they　did　not　seem　to

have　taken　the　trouble　to　look　at　me。　　As　I　listened　to　those　words　my

heart；　which　had　stood　still　waiting　for　the　answer；　beat　again　with　a

sudden　bound　that　I　could　hear　in　the　silence。



I　looked　up。　　There；　advancing　from　the　doorway　of　one　of　the　houses；

very　slowly；　as　though　overpowered　by　weakness；　and　leading　by　the　hand

a　mere　skeleton　of　a　child；　who　was　chewing　some　leaves；　I　sawI　saw

_Marie　Marais！_　　She　was　wasted　to　nothing；　but　I　could　not　mistake　her

eyes；　those　great　soft　eyes　that　had　grown　so　unnaturally　large　in　the

white；　thin　face。



She　too　saw　me　and　stared　for　one　moment。　　Then；　loosing　the　child；　she

cast　up　her　hands；　through　which　the　sunlight　shone　as　through

parchment；　and　slowly　sank　to　the　ground。



〃She　has　gone；　too；〃　said　one　of　the　men　in　an　indifferent　voice。　　〃I

thought　she　would　not　last　another　day。〃



Now　for　the　first　time　the　man　at　the　head　of　the　grave　turned。　　Lifting

his　hand；　he　pointed　to　me；　whereon　the　other　two　men　turned　also。



〃God　above　us！〃　he　said　in　a　choked　voice；　〃at　last　I　am　quite　mad。　

Look！　there　stands　the　spook　of　young　Allan；　the　son　of　the　English

predicant　who　lived　near　Cradock。〃



As　soon　as　I　heard　the　voice　I　knew　the　speaker。



〃Oh；　Mynheer　Marais！〃　I　cried；　〃I　am　no　ghost；　I　am　Allan　himself　come

to　save　you。〃



Marais　made　no　answer；　he　seemed　bewildered。　　But　one　of　the　men　cried

out　crazily：



〃How　can　you　save　us；　youngster；　unless　you　are　ready　to　be　eaten？　

Don't　you　see；　we　starve；　we　starve！〃



〃I　have　wagons　and　food；〃　I　answered。



〃Allemachte！　Henri；〃　exclaimed　the　man；　with　a　wild　laugh；　〃do　you　hear

what　your　English　spook　says？　　He　says　that　he　has　wagons　and　_food；

food；　food！_〃



Then　Marais　burst　into　tears　and　flung　himself　upon　my　breast；　nearly

knocking　me　down。　　I　wrenched　myself　free　of　hi