marie-第28节

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doubtless　by　now　he　was　dead；　so　what　was　the　good　of　bothering　about

him？



These　sentiments　appeared　to　appeal　to　the　Boers；　for　they　remarked：

〃Ja；　what　is　the　good？〃



〃Is　it　right；〃　asked　Marais；　〃to　abandon　a　comrade　in　misfortune；　one　of

our　own　blood？〃



〃Mein　Gott！〃　replied　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　〃he　is　no　blood　of　mine；　the

evil…odoured　Portuguee。　　But　I　admit　he　is　of　yours；　Heer　Marais；　being

your　sister's　son；　so　it　is　evident　that　you　should　be　the　one　to　go　to

seek　after　him。〃



〃That　seems　to　be　so；　Vrouw　Prinsloo；〃　said　Marais　in　his　meditative

manner；　〃yet　I　must　remember　that　I　have　Marie　to　look　after。〃



〃Ach！　and　so　had　he；　too；　until　he　remembered　his　own　skin；　and　went　off

with　the　only　horse　and　all　the　powder；　leaving　her　and　the　rest　of　us

to　starve。　　Well；　you　won't　go；　and　Prinsloo　won't　go；　nor　my　boy

either；　for　I'll　see　to　that；　so　Meyer　must　go。〃



〃Nein；　nein；　good　vrouw；〃　answered　Meyer；　〃I　have　those　children　that

are　left　to　me　to　consider。〃



〃Then；〃　exclaimed　Vrouw　Prinsloo　triumphantly；　〃nobody　will　go；　so　let

us　forget　this　stinkcat；　as　he　forgot　us。〃



〃Does　it　seem　right；〃　asked　Marais　again；　〃that　a　Christian　man　should

be　left　to　starve　in　the　wilderness？〃　and　he　looked　at　me。



〃Tell　me；　Heer　Marais；〃　I　remarked；　answering　the　look；　〃why　should　I　of

all　people　go　to　look　for　the　Heer　Pereira；　one　who　has　not　dealt　too

well　with　me？〃



〃I　do　not　know；　Allan。　　Yet　the　Book　tells　us　to　turn　the　other　cheek

and　to　forget　injuries。　　Still；　it　is　for　you　to　judge；　remembering　that

we　must　answer　for　all　things　at　the　last　day；　and　not　for　me。　　I　only

know　that　were　I　your　age　and　not　burdened　with　a　daughter　to　watch

over；　_I_　should　go。〃



〃Why　should　you　talk　to　me　thus？〃　I　asked　with　indignation。　　〃Why　do　you

not　go　yourself；　seeing　that　I　am　quite　ready　to　look　after　Marie？〃

（Here　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　and　the　other　Boers　tittered。）　　〃And　why　do　you

not　address　your　remarks　to　these　other　heeren　instead　of　to　me；　seeing

that　they　are　the　friends　and　trek…companions　of　your　nephew？〃



At　this　point　the　male　Prinsloos　and　Meyer　found　that　they　had　business

elsewhere。



〃It　is　for　you　to　judge；　yet　remember；　Allan；　that　it　is　an　awful　thing

to　appear　before　our　Maker　with　the　blood　of　a　fellow　creature　upon　our

hands。　　But　if　you　and　these　other　hard…hearted　men　will　not　go；　I　at　my

age；　and　weak　as　I　am　with　all　that　I　have　suffered；　will　go　myself。〃



〃Good；〃　said　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　〃that　is　the　best　way　out　of　it。　　You　will

soon　get　sick　of　the　journey；　Heer　Marais；　and　we　shall　see　no　more　of

the　stinkcat。〃



Marais　rose　in　a　resigned　fashion；　for　he　never　deigned　to　argue　with

Vrouw　Prinsloo；　who　was　too　many　for　him；　and　said：



〃Farewell；　Marie。　　If　I　do　not　return；　you　will　remember　my　wishes；　and

my　will　may　be　found　between　the　first　leaves　of　our　Holy　Book。　　Get　up；

Klaus；　and　guide　me　to　your　master；〃　and　he　administered　a　somewhat

vicious　kick　to　the　gorged　and　prostrate　Hottentot。



Now　Marie；　who　all　this　while　had　stood　silent；　touched　me　on　the

shoulder　and　said：



〃Allan；　is　it　well　that　my　father　should　go　alone？　　Will　you　not

accompany　him？〃



〃Of　course；〃　I　answered　cheerfully；　〃on　such　a　business　there　should　be

two；　and　some　Kaffirs　also　to　carry　the　man；　if　he　still　lives。〃



Now　for　the　end　of　the　story。　　As　the　Hottentot　Klaus　was　too　exhausted

to　move　that　night；　it　was　arranged　that　we　should　start　at　dawn。　

Accordingly；　I　rose　before　the　light；　and　was　just　finishing　my

breakfast　when　Marie　appeared　at　the　wagon　in　which　I　slept。　　I　got　up

to　greet　her；　and；　there　being　no　one　in　sight；　we　kissed　each　other

several　times。



〃Have　done；　my　heart；〃　she　said；　pushing　me　away。　　〃I　come　to　you　from

my　father；　who　is　sick　in　his　stomach　and　would　see　you。〃



〃Which　means　that　I　shall　have　to　go　after　your　cousin　alone；〃　I　replied

with　indignant　emphasis。



She　shook　her　head；　and　led　me　to　the　little　shanty　in　which　she　slept。　

Here　by　the　growing　light；　that　entered　through　the　doorway　for　it　had

no　window；　I　perceived　Marais　seated　upon　a　wooden　stool　with　his　hands

pressed　on　his　middle　and　groaning。



〃Good　morning；　Allan；〃　he　said　in　a　melancholy　voice；　〃I　am　ill；　very

ill；　something　that　I　have　eaten　perhaps；　or　a　chill　in　the　stomach；

such　as　often　precedes　fever　or　dysentery。〃



〃Perhaps　you　will　get　better　as　you　walk；　mynheer；〃　I　suggested；　for；　to

tell　the　truth；　I　misdoubted　me　of　this　chill；　and　knew　that　he　had

eaten　nothing　but　what　was　quite　wholesome。



〃Walk！　God　alone　knows　how　I　can　walk　with　something　gripping　my　inside

like　a　wagon…maker's　vice。　　Yet　I　will　try；　for　it　is　impossible　to

leave　that　poor　Hernan　to　die　alone；　and　if　I　do　not　go　to　seek　him；　it

seems　that　no　one　else　will。〃



〃Why　should　not　some　of　my　Kaffirs　go　with　Klaus？〃　I　asked。



〃Allan；〃　he　replied　solemnly；　〃if　you　were　dying　in　a　cave　far　from

help；　would　you　think　well　of　those　who　sent　raw　Kaffirs　to　succour　you

when　they　might　have　come　themselves；　Kaffirs　who　certainly　would　let

you　die　and　return　with　some　false　story？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　I　should　think；　Heer　Marais。　　But　I　do　know　that　if

_I_　were　in　that　cave　and　Pereira　were　in　this　camp；　neither　would　he

come　himself；　nor　so　much　as　send　a　savage　to　save　_me_。〃



〃It　may　be　so；　Allan。　　But　even　if　another's　heart　is　black；　should

yours　be　black　also？　　Oh！　I　will　come；　though　it　be　to　my　death；〃　and；

rising　from　the　stool　with　the　most　dreadful　groan；　he　began　to　divest

himself　of　the　tattered　blanket　in　which　he　was　wrapped　up。



〃Oh！　Allan；　my　father　must　not　go；　it　will　kill　him；〃　exclaimed　Marie；

who　took　a　more　serious　view　of　his　case　than　I　did。



〃Very　well；　if　you　think　so；〃　I　answered。　　〃And　now；　as　it　is　time　for

me　to　be　starting；　good…bye。〃



〃You　have　a　good　heart；　Allan；〃　said　Marais；　sinking　back　upon　his　stool

and　resuming　his　blanket；　while　Marie　looked　despairingly　first　at　one

and　then　at　the　other　of　us。



Half　an　hour　later　I　was　on　the　road　in　the　very　worst　of　tempers。



〃Mind　what　you　are　about；〃　called　Vrouw　Prinsloo　after　me。　　〃It　is　not

lucky　to　save　an　enemy；　and　if　I　know　anything　of　that　stinkcat；　he　will

bite　your　finger　badly　by　way　of　gratitude。　　Bah！　lad；　if　I　were　you　I

should　just　camp　for　a　few　days　in　the　bush；　and　then　come　back　and　say

that　I　could　find　nothing　of　Pereira　except　the　dead　hyenas　that　had

been　poisoned　by　eating　him。　　Good　luck　to　you　all　the　same；　Allan；　may

I　find　such　a　friend　in　need。　　It　seems　to　me　that　you　were　born　to　help

others。〃



Beside　the　Hottentot　Klaus；　my　companions　on　this　unwelcome　journey　were

three　of　the　Zulu　Kaffirs；　for　Hans　I　was　obliged　to　leave　in　charge　of

my　cattle　and　goods　with　the　other　men。　　Also；　I　took　a　pack…ox；　an

active　beast　that　I　had　been　training　to　carry　loads　and；　if　necessary　a

man；　although　as　yet　it　was　not　very　well　broken。



All　that　day　we　marched　over　extremely　rough　country；　till　at　last

darkness　found　us　in　a　mountainous　kloof；　where　we　slept；　surrounded　by

watch…fires　because　of　the　lions。　　Next　morning　at　the　first　light　we

moved　on　again；　and　about　ten　o'clock　waded　through　a　stream　to　a　little

natural　cave；　where　Klaus　said　he　had　left　his　master。　　This　cave　seemed

extremely　silent；　and；　as　I　hesitated　for　a　moment　at　its　mouth；　the

thought　crossed　my　mind　that　if　Pereira　were　still　there；　he　must　be

dead。　　Indeed；　do　what　I　would　to　suppress　it；　with　that　reflection　came

a　certain　feeling　of　relief　and　even　of　pleasure。　　For　well　I　knew　that

Pereira　alive　was　more　dangerous　to　me　than　all　the　wild　men　and　beasts

in　Africa　put　together。　　Thrusting　back　this　unworthy　sentiment　as　best

I　could；　I　entered　the　cave　alone；　for　the　natives；　who　dread　the

defilement　of　the　touch　of　a　corpse；　lingered　outside。



It　was　but　a　shallow　cavity　washed　out　of　the　overhanging　rock　by　the

action　of　water；　and　as　soon　as　my　eyes　grew　accustomed　to　its　gloom；　I

saw　that　at　the　end　of　it　lay　a　man。　　So　still　did　he　lie；　that　now　I

was　almost　certain　that　his　troubles　were　over。　　I　went　up　to　him　and

touched　his　face；　which　was　cold　and　clammy；　and　then；　quite　convinced；

turned　to　leave　the　place；　which；　I　thought；　if　a　few　rocks　were　piled

in　the　mouth　of　it；　would　make　an　excellent　sepulchre。



Just　as　I　stepped　out　into　the　sunlight；　and　was　about　to　call　to　the

men　to　collect　the　rocks；　however；　I　thought　that　I　heard　a　very　faint

groan　behind　me；　which　at　the　moment　I　set　down　to　imagination。　　Still；

I　returned；　though　I　did　not　much　like　the　job；　knelt　down　by　the

figure；　and　waited　with　my　hand　over　its　heart。　　For　five　minutes　or

more　I　stayed　here；　and　then；　quite　convinced；　was　about　to　leave　again

when；　for　the　second　time；　I　heard　that　faint　groan。　　Pereira　was　not

dead；　but　only　on　the　extreme　brink　of　death！



I　ran　to　the　entrance　of