marie-第29节

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dead；　but　only　on　the　extreme　brink　of　death！



I　ran　to　the　entrance　of　the　cave；　calling　the　Kaffirs；　and　together　we

carried　him　out　into　the　sunlight。　　He　was　an　awful　spectacle；　mere　bone

with　yellow　skin　stretched　over　it；　and　covered　with　filth　and　clotted

blood　from　some　hurt。　　I　had　brandy　with　me；　of　which　I　poured　a　little

down　his　throat；　whereon　his　heart　began　to　beat　feebly。　　Then　we　made

some　soup；　and　poured　that　down　his　throat　with　more　brandy；　and　the　end

of　it　was　he　came　to　life　again。



For　three　days　did　I　doctor　that　man；　and　really　I　believe　that　if　at

any　time　during　those　days　I　had　relaxed　my　attentions　even　for　a　couple

of　hours；　he　would　have　slipped　through　my　fingers；　for　at　this　business

Klaus　and　the　Kaffirs　were　no　good　at　all。　　But　I　pulled　him　round；　and

on　the　third　morning　he　came　to　his　senses。　　For　a　long　while　he　stared

at　me；　for　I　had　laid　him　in　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　where　the　light　was

good；　although　the　overhanging　rocks　protected　him　from　the　sun。　　Then

he　said：



〃Allemachte！　you　remind　me　of　someone；　young　man。　　I　know。　　It　is　of

that　damned　English　boy　who　beat　me　at　the　goose　shooting；　and　made　me

quarrel　with　Oom　＇uncle＇　Retief；　the　jackanapes　that　Marie　was　so　fond

of。　　Well；　whoever　you　are；　you　can't　be　he；　thank　God。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；　Heer　Pereira；〃　I　answered。　　〃I　am　that　same　damned

young　English　jackanapes；　Allan　Quatermain　by　name；　who　beat　you　at

shooting。　　But　if　you　take　my　advice；　you　will　thank　God　for　something

else；　namely；　that　your　life　has　been　saved。〃



〃Who　saved　it？〃　he　asked。



〃If　you　want　to　know；　I　did；　I　have　been　nursing　you　these　three　days。〃



〃You；　Allan　Quatermain！　　Now；　that　is　strange；　for　certainly　I　would　not

have　saved　yours；〃　and　he　laughed　a　little；　then　turned　over　and　went　to

sleep。



From　that　time　forward　his　recovery　was　rapid；　and　two　days　later　we

began　our　journey　back　to　Marais's　camp；　the　convalescent　Pereira　being

carried　in　a　litter　by　the　four　natives。　　It　was　a　task　at　which　they

grumbled　a　good　deal；　for　the　load　was　heavy　over　rough　ground；　and

whenever　they　stumbled　or　shook　him　he　cursed　at　them。　　So　much　did　he

curse；　indeed；　that　at　length　one　of　the　Zulus；　a　man　with　a　rough

temper；　said　that　if　it　were　not　for　the　Inkoos；　meaning　myself；　he

would　put　his　assegai　through　him；　and　let　the　vultures　carry　him。　

After　this　Pereira　grew　much　more　polite。　　When　the　bearers　became

exhausted　we　set　him　on　the　pack…ox；　which　two　of　us　led；　while　the

other　two　supported　him　on　either　side。　　It　was　in　this　fashion　that　at

last　we　arrived　at　the　camp　one　evening。



Here　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　was　the　first　to　greet　us。　　We　found　her

standing　in　the　game　path　which　we　were　following；　quite　a　quarter　of　a

mile　from　the　wagons；　with　her　hands　set　upon　her　broad　hips　and　her

feet　apart。　　Her　attitude　was　so　defiant；　and　had　about　it　such　an　air

of　premeditation；　that　I　cannot　help　thinking　she　had　got　wind　of　our

return；　perhaps　from　having　seen　the　smoke　of　our　last　fires；　and　was

watching　for　us。　　Also；　her　greeting　was　warm。



〃Ah！　here　you　come；　Hernan　Pereira；〃　she　cried；　〃riding　on　an　ox；　while

better　men　walk。　　Well；　now；　I　want　a　chat　with　you。　　How　came　it　that

you　went　off　in　the　night；　taking　the　only　horse　and　all　the　powder？〃



〃I　went　to　get　help　for　you；〃　he　replied　sulkily。



〃Did　you；　did　you；　indeed！　　Well；　it　seems　that　it　was　you　who　wanted

the　help；　after　all。　　What　do　you　mean　to　pay　the　Heer　Allan　Quatermain

for　saving　your　life；　for　I　am　sure　he　has　done　so？　　You　have　got　no

goods　left；　although　you　were　always　boasting　about　your　riches；　they

are　now　at　the　bottom　of　a　river；　so　it　will　have　to　be　in　love　and

service。〃



He　muttered　something　about　my　wanting　no　payment　for　a　Christian　act。



〃No；　he　wants　no　payment；　Hernan　Pereira；　he　is　one　of　the　true　sort；

but　you'll　pay　him　all　the　same　and　in　bad　coin　if　you　get　the　chance。　

Oh！　I　have　come　out　to　tell　you　what　I　think　of　you。　　You　are　a

stinkcat；　do　you　hear　that？　　A　thing　that　no　dog　would　bite　if　he　could

help　it！　　You　are　a　traitor　also。　　You　brought　us　to　this　cursed

country；　where　you　said　your　relatives　would　give　us　wealth　and　land；

and　then；　after　famine　and　fever　attacked　us；　you　rode　away；　and　left　us

to　die　to　save　your　own　dirty　skin。　　And　now　you　come　back　here　for

help；　saved　by　him　whom　you　cheated　in　the　Goose　Kloof；　by　him　whose

true　love　you　have　tried　to　steal。　　Oh；　mein　Gott！　why　does　the　Almighty

leave　such　fellows　alive；　while　so　many　that　are　good　and　honest　and

innocent　lie　beneath　the　soil　because　of　stinkcats　like　you？〃



So　she　went　on；　striding　at　the　side　of　the　pack…ox；　and　reviling

Pereira　in　a　ceaseless　stream　of　language；　until　at　length　he　thrust　his

thumbs　into　his　ears　and　glared　at　her　in　speechless　wrath。



Thus　it　was　that　at　last　we　arrived　in　the　camp；　where；　having　seen　us

coming；　all　the　Boers　were　gathered。　　They　are　not　a　particularly

humorous　people；　but　this　spectacle　of　the　advance　of　Pereira　seated　on

the　pack…ox；　a　steed　that　is　becoming　to　few　riders；　with　the　furious

and　portly　Vrouw　Prinsloo　striding　at　his　side　and　shrieking　abuse　at

him；　caused　them　to　burst　into　laughter。　　Then　Pereira's　temper　gave

out；　and　he　became　even　more　abusive　than　Vrouw　Prinsloo。



〃Is　this　the　way　you　receive　me；　you　veld…hogs；　you　common　Boers；　who

are　not　fit　to　mix　with　a　man　of　position　and　learning　like　myself？〃　he

began。



〃Then　in　God's　name　why　do　you　mix　with　us；　Hernan　Pereira？〃　asked　the

saturnine　Meyer；　thrusting　his　face　forward　till　the　Newgate　fringe　he

wore　by　way　of　a　beard　literally　seemed　to　curl　with　wrath。　　〃When　we

were　hungry　you　did　not　wish　it；　for　you　slunk　away　and　left　us；　taking

all　the　powder。　　But　now　that　we　are　full　again；　thanks　to　the　little

Englishman；　and　you　are　hungry；　you　come　back。　　Well；　if　I　had　my　way　I

would　give　you　a　gun　and　six　days'　rations；　and　turn　you　out　to　shift

for　yourself。〃



〃Don't　be　afraid；　Jan　Meyer；〃　shouted　Pereira　from　the　back　of　the

pack…ox。　　〃As　soon　as　I　am　strong　enough　I　will　leave　you　in　charge　of

your　English　captain　here〃and　he　pointed　to　me〃and　go　to　tell　our

people　what　sort　of　folk　you　are。〃



〃That　is　good　news；〃　interrupted　Prinsloo；　a　stolid　old　Boer；　who　stood

by　puffing　at　his　pipe。　　〃Get　well；　get　well　as　soon　as　you　can；　Hernan

Pereira。〃



It　was　at　this　juncture　that　Marais　arrived；　accompanied　by　Marie。　

Where　he　came　from　I　do　not　know；　but　I　think　he　must　have　been　keeping

in　the　background　on　purpose　to　see　what　kind　of　a　reception　Pereira

would　meet　with。



〃Silence；　brothers；〃　he　said。　　〃Is　this　the　way　you　greet　my　nephew；　who

has　returned　from　the　gate　of　death；　when　you　should　be　on　your　knees

thanking　God　for　his　deliverance？〃



〃Then　go　on　your　knees　and　thank　Him　yourself；　Henri　Marais；〃　　screamed

the　irrepressible　Vrouw　Prinsloo。　　〃I　give　thanks　for　the　safe　return　of

Allan　here；　though　it　is　true　they　would　be　warmer　if　he　had　left　this

stinkcat　behind　him。　　Allemachte！　Henri　Marais；　why　do　you　make　so　much

of　this　Portuguese　fellow？　　Has　he　bewitched　you？　　Or　is　it　because　he

is　your　sister's　son；　or　because　you　want　to　force　Marie　there　to　marry

him？　　Or　is　it；　perhaps；　that　he　knows　of　something　bad　in　your　past

life；　and　you　have　to　bribe　him　to　keep　his　mouth　shut？〃



Now；　whether　this　last　unpleasant　suggestion　was　a　mere　random　arrow

drawn　from　Vrouw　Prinsloo's　well…stored　quiver；　or　whether　the　vrouw　had

got　hold　of　the　tail…end　of　some　long…buried　truth；　I　do　not　know。　　Of

course；　however；　the　latter　explanation　is　possible。　　Many　men　have　done

things　in　their　youth　which　they　do　not　wish　to　see　dug　up　in　their　age；

and　Pereira　may　have　learned　a　family　secret　of　the　kind　from　his

mother。



At　any　rate；　the　effect　of　the　old　lady's　words　upon　Marais　was　quite

remarkable。　　Suddenly　he　went　into　one　of　his　violent　and　constitutional

rages。　　He　cursed　Vrouw　Prinsloo。　　He　cursed　everybody　else；　assuring

them　severally　and　collectively　that　Heaven　would　come　even　with　them。　

He　said　there　was　a　plot　against　him　and　his　nephew；　and　that　I　was　at

the　bottom　of　it；　I　who　had　made　his　daughter　fond　of　my　ugly　little

face。　　So　furious　were　his　words；　whereof　there　were　many　more　which　I

have　forgotten；　that　at　length　Marie　began　to　cry　and　ran　away。　

Presently；　too；　the　Boers　strolled　off；　shrugging　their　shoulders；　one

of　them　saying　audibly　that　Marais　had　gone　quite　mad　at　last；　as　he

always　thought　he　would。



Then　Marais　followed　them；　throwing　up　his　arms　and　still　cursing　as　he

went；　and；　slipping　over　the　tail　of　the　pack…ox；　Pereira　followed　him。　

So　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　and　I　were　left　alone；　for　the　coloured　men　had

departed；　as　they　always　do　when　white　people　begin　to　quarrel。



〃There；　Allan；　my　boy；〃　said　the　vrouw　in　triumph；　〃I　have　found　the

sore　place　on　the