marie-第36节

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was　called　Jane。



〃Well；〃　said　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　〃and　what　is　your　news；　young　man？〃



〃My　news；　aunt；〃　I　answered；　〃is　that　one　hour　before　sundown　to…day　I

have　to　shoot　vultures　on　the　wing　against　the　lives　of　all　of　you。　

This　you　owe　to　that　false…hearted　hound　Hernan　Pereira；　who　told

Dingaan　that　I　am　a　magician。　　Now　Dingaan　would　prove　it。　　He　thinks

that　only　by　magic　can　a　man　shoot　soaring　vultures　with　a　bullet；　and

as　he　is　determined　to　kill　you　all；　except　perhaps　Marie；　in　the　form

of　a　bet　he　has　set　me　a　task　which　he　believes　to　be　impossible。　　If　I

fail；　the　bet　is　lost；　and　so　are　your　lives。　　If　I　succeed　I　think　your

lives　will　be　spared；　since　Kambula　there　tells　me　that　the　king　always

makes　it　a　point　of　honour　to　pay　his　bets。　　Now　you　have　the　truth；　and

I　hope　you　like　it；〃　and　I　laughed　bitterly。



When　I　had　finished　a　perfect　storm　of　execration　broke　from　the　Boers。　

If　curses　could　have　killed　Pereira；　surely　he　would　have　died　upon　the

spot；　wherever　he　might　be。　　Only　two　of　them　were　silent；　Marie；　who

turned　very　pale；　poor　girl；　and　her　father。　　Presently　one　of　them；　I

think　it　was　Meyer；　rounded　on　him　viciously　and　asked　him　what　he

thought　now　of　that　devil；　his　nephew。



〃I　think　there　must　be　some　mistake；〃　answered　Marais　quietly；　〃since

Hernan　cannot　have　wished　that　we　should　all　be　put　to　death。〃



〃No；〃　shouted　Meyer；　〃but　he　wished　that　Allan　Quatermain　should；　which

is　just　as　bad；　and　now　it　has　come　about　that　once　more　our　lives

depend　upon　this　English　boy。〃



〃At　any　rate；〃　replied　Marais；　looking　at　me　oddly；　〃it　seems　that　he　is

not　to　be　killed；　whether　he　shoots　the　vultures　or　misses　them。〃



〃That　remains　to　be　proved；　mynheer；〃　I　answered　hotly；　for　the

insinuation　stung　me。　　〃But　please　understand　that　if　all　of　you；　my

companions；　are　to　be　slaughtered；　and　Marie　is　to　be　put　among　this

black　brute's　women；　as　he　threatens；　I　have　no　wish　to　live　on。〃



〃My　God！　does　he　threaten　that？〃　said　Marais。　　〃Surely　you　must　have

misunderstood　him；　Allan。〃



〃Do　you　think　that　I　should　lie　to　you　on　such　a　matter〃　I　began。



But；　before　I　could　proceed；　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　thrust　herself　between

us；　crying：



〃Be　silent；　you；　Marais；　and　you　too；　Allan。　　Is　this　a　time　that　you

should　quarrel　and　upset　yourself；　Allan；　so　that　when　the　trial　comes

you　will　shoot　your　worst　and　not　your　best？　　And　is　this　a　time；　Henri

Marais；　that　you　should　throw　insults　at　one　on　whom　all　our　lives　hang；

instead　of　praying　for　God's　vengeance　upon　your　accursed　nephew？　　Come；

Allan；　and　take　food。　　I　have　fried　the　liver　of　that　heifer　which　the

king　sent　us；　it　is　ready　and　very　good。　　After　you　have　eaten　it　you

must　lie　down　and　sleep　a　while。〃



Now　among　the　household　of　the　Reverend　Mr。　Owen　was　an　English　boy

called　William　Wood；　who　was　not　more　than　twelve　or　fourteen　years　of

age。　　This　lad　knew　both　Dutch　and　Zulu；　and　acted　as　interpreter　to　the

Owen　family　during　the　absence　on　a　journey　of　a　certain　Mr。　Hulley；　who

really　filled　that　office。　　While　this　conversation　was　taking　place　in

Dutch　he　was　engaged　in　rendering　every　word　of　it　into　English　for　the

benefit　of　the　clergyman　and　his　family。　　When　Mr。　Owen　understood　the

full　terror　of　the　situation；　he　broke　in　saying：



〃This　is　not　a　time　to　eat　or　to　sleep；　but　a　time　to　pray　that　the

heart　of　the　savage　Dingaan　may　be　turned。　　Come；　let　us　pray！〃



〃Yes；〃　rejoined　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　when　William　Wood　had　translated。　　〃Do

you　pray；　Predicant；　and　all　the　rest　of　you　who　have　nothing　else　to

do；　and　while　you　are　about　it　pray　also　that　the　bullets　of　Allan

Quatermain　may　not　be　turned。　　As　for　me　and　Allan；　we　have　other　things

to　see　to；　so　you　must　pray　a　little　harder　to　cover　us　as　well　as

yourselves。　　Now　you　come　along；　nephew　Allan；　or　that　liver　may　be

overdone　and　give　you　indigestion；　which　is　worse　for　shooting　than　even

bad　temper。　　No；　not　another　word。　　If　you　try　to　speak　any　more；　Henri

Marais；　I　will　box　your　ears；〃　and　she　lifted　a　hand　like　a　leg　of

mutton；　then；　as　Marais　retreated　before　her；　seized　me　by　the　collar　as

though　I　were　a　naughty　boy　and　led　me　away　to　the　wagons。







CHAPTER　XIII









THE　REHEARSAL











By　the　women's　wagon　we　found　the　liver　cooked　in　its　frying…pan；　as　the

vrouw　had　said。　　Indeed；　it　was　just　done　to　a　turn。　　Selecting　a

particularly　massive　slice；　she　proceeded　to　take　it　from　the　pan　with

her　fingers　in　order　to　set　it　upon　a　piece　of　tin；　from　which　she　had

first　removed　the　more　evident　traces　of　the　morning　meal　with　her

constant　companion；　the　ancient　and　unwashen　vatdoek。　　As　it　chanced　the

effort　was　not　very　successful；　since　the　boiling　liver　fat　burnt　the

vrouw's　fingers；　causing　her　to　drop　it　on　the　grass；　and；　I　am　sorry　to

add；　to　swear　as　well。　　Not　to　be　defeated；　however；　having　first　sucked

her　fingers　to　ease　their　smart；　she　seized　the　sizzling　liver　with　the

vatdoek　and　deposited　it　upon　the　dirty　tin。



〃There；　nephew；〃　she　said　triumphantly；　〃there　are　more　ways　of　killing

a　cat　than　by　drowning。　　What　a　fool　I　was　not　to　think　of　the　vatdoek

at　first。　　Allemachte！　how　the　flesh　has　burnt　me；　I　don't　suppose　that

being　killed　would　hurt　much　more。　　Also；　if　the　worst　comes　to　the

worst；　it　will　soon　be　over。　　Think　of　it；　Allan；　by　to…night　I　may　be

an　angel；　dressed　in　a　long　white　nightgown　like　those　my　mother　gave　me

when　I　was　married；　which　I　cut　up　for　baby…clothes　because　I　found　them

chilly　wear；　having　always　been　accustomed　to　sleep　in　my　vest　and

petticoat。　　Yes；　and　I　shall　have　wings；　too；　like　those　on　a　white

gander；　only　bigger　if　they　are　to　carry　_my_　weight。〃



〃And　a　crown　of　Glory；〃　I　suggested。



〃Yes；　of　course；　a　crown　of　Gloryvery　large；　since　I　shall　be　a

martyr；　but　I　hope　one　will　only　have　to　wear　it　on　Sundays；　as　I　never

could　bear　anything　heavy　on　my　hair；　moreover；　it　would　remind　me　of　a

Kaffir's　head…ring　done　in　gold；　and　I　shall　have　had　enough　of　Kaffirs。

　Then　there　will　be　the　harp；〃　she　went　on　as　her　imagination　took　fire

at　the　prospect　of　these　celestial　delights。　　〃Have　you　ever　seen　a

harp；　Allan？　　I　haven't　except　that　which　King　David　carries　in　the

picture　in　the　Book；　which　looks　like　a　broken　rimpi　chair　frame　set　up

edgeways。　　As　for　playing　the　thing；　they　will　have　to　teach　me；　that's

all；　which　will　be　a　difficult　business；　seeing　that　I　would　sooner

listen　to　cats　on　the　roof　than　to　music；　and　as　for　making　it〃



So　she　chattered　on；　as　I　believe　with　the　object　of　diverting　and

amusing　me；　for　she　was　a　shrewd　old　soul　who　knew　how　important　it　was

that　I　should　be　kept　in　an　equable　frame　of　mind　at　this　crisis　in　our

fates。



Meanwhile　I　was　doing　my　best　with　the　lump　of　liver；　that　tasted

painfully　of　vatdoek　and　was　gritty　with　sand。　　Indeed；　when　the　vrouw's

back　was　turned　I　managed　to　throw　the　most　of　it　to　Hans　behind　me；　who

swallowed　it　at　a　gulp　as　a　dog　does；　since　he　did　not　wish　to　be　caught

chewing　it。



〃God　in　heaven！　how　fast　you　eat；　nephew；〃　said　the　vrouw；　catching

sight　of　my　empty　tin。　　Then；　eyeing　the　voracious　Hottentot

suspiciously；　she　added：　〃That　yellow　dog　of　yours　hasn't　stolen　it；　has

he？　　If　so；　I'll　teach　him。〃



〃No；　no；　vrouw；〃　answered　Hans　in　alarm。　　〃No　meat　has　passed　my　lips

this　day；　except　what　I　licked　out　of　the　pan　after　breakfast。〃



〃Then；　Allan；　you　will　certainly　have　indigestion；　which　is　just　what　I

wanted　to　avoid。　　Have　I　not　often　told　you　that　you　should　chew　your

bit　twenty　times　before　you　swallow；　which　I　would　do　myself　if　I　had

any　back　teeth　left？　　Here；　drink　this　milk；　it　is　only　a　little　sour

and　will　settle　your　stomach；〃　and　she　produced　a　black　bottle　and

subjected　it　to　the　attentions　of　the　vatdoek；　growing　quite　angry　when

I　declined　it　and　sent　for　water。



Next　she　insisted　upon　my　getting　into　her　own　bed　in　the　wagon　to

sleep；　forbidding　me　to　smoke；　which　she　said　made　the　hand　shake。　

Thither；　then；　I　went；　after　a　brief　conversation　with　Hans；　whom　I

directed　to　clean　my　rifle　thoroughly。　　For　I　wished　to　be　alone　and

knew　that　I　had　little　chance　of　solitude　outside　of　that　somewhat　fusty

couch。



To　tell　the　truth；　although　I　shut　my　eyes　to　deceive　the　vrouw；　who

looked　in　occasionally　to　see　how　I　was　getting　on；　no　sleep　came　to　me

that　afternoonat　least；　not　for　a　long　while。　　How　could　I　sleep　in

that　hot　place　when　my　heart　was　torn　with　doubt　and　terror？　　Think　of

it；　reader；　think　of　it！　　An　hour　or　two；　and　on　my　skill　would　hang　the

lives　of　eight　white　peoplemen；　women；　and　children；　and　the　safety　or

the　utter　shame　of　the　woman　whom　I　loved　and　who　loved　me。　　No；　she

should　be　spared　the　worst。　　I　would　give　her　my　pistol；　and　if　there

were　need　she　would　know　what　to　do。



The　fearful　responsibility　was　more