marie-第37节

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were　need　she　would　know　what　to　do。



The　fearful　responsibility　was　more　than　I　could　bear。　　I　fell　into　a

veritable　agony；　I　trembled　and　even　wept　a　little。　　Then　I　thought　of

my　father　and　what　he　would　do　in　such　circumstances；　and　began　to　pray

as　I　had　never　prayed　before。



I　implored　the　Power　above　me　to　give　me　strength　and　wisdom；　not　to　let

me　fail　in　this　hour　of　trouble；　and　thereby　bring　these　poor　people　to

a　bloody　death。　　I　prayed　till　the　perspiration　streamed　down　my　face；

then　suddenly　I　fell　into　sleep　or　swoon。　　I　don't　know　how　long　I　lay

thus；　but　I　think　it　must　have　been　the　best　part　of　an　hour。　　At　last　I

woke　up　all　in　an　instant；　and　as　I　woke　I　distinctly　heard　a　tiny

voice；　unlike　any　other　voice　in　the　whole　world；　speak　inside　my　head；

or　so　it　seemed　to　me；　saying：



_〃Go　to　the　hill　Hloma　Amabutu；　and　watch　how　the　vultures　fly。　　Do　what

comes　into　your　mind；　and　even　if　you　seem　to　fail；　fear　nothing。〃_



I　sat　up　on　the　old　vrouw's　bed；　and　felt　that　some　mysterious　change

had　come　over　me。　　I　was　no　longer　the　same　man。　　My　doubts　and　terrors

had　gone；　my　hand　was　like　a　rock；　my　heart　was　light。　　I　knew　that　I

should　kill　those　three　vultures。　　Of　course　the　story　seems　absurd；　and

easy　to　be　explained　by　the　state　of　my　nerves　under　the　strain　which

was　being　put　upon　them；　and　for　aught　I　know　that　may　be　its　true

meaning。　　Yet　I　am　not　ashamed　to　confess　that　I　have　always　held；　and

still　hold；　otherwise。　　I　believe　that　in　my　extremity　some　kindly　Power

did　speak　to　me　in　answer　to　my　earnest　prayers　and　to　those　of　others；

giving　me　guidance　and；　what　I　needed　still　more；　judgment　and　calmness。

　At　any　rate；　that　this　was　my　conviction　at　the　moment　may　be　seen　from

the　fact　that　I　hastened　to　obey　the　teachings　of　that　tiny；　unnatural

voice。



Climbing　out　of　the　wagon；　I　went　to　Hans；　who　was　seated　near　by　in　the

full　glare　of　the　hot　sun；　at　which　he　seemed　to　stare　with　unblinking

eyes。



〃Where's　the　rifle；　Hans？〃　I　said。



〃Intombi　is　here；　baas；　where　I　have　put　her　to　keep　her　cool；　so　that

she　may　not　go　off　before　it　is　wanted；〃　and　he　pointed　to　a　little

grave…like　heap　of　gathered　grass　at　his　side。



The　natives；　I　should　explain；　named　this　particular　gun　〃Intombi〃；

which　means　a　young　girl；　because　it　was　so　much　slimmer　and　more

graceful　than　other　guns。



〃Is　it　clean？〃　I　asked。



〃Never　was　she　cleaner　since　she　was　born　out　of　the　fire；　baas。　　Also；

the　powder　has　been　sifted　and　set　to　dry　in　the　sun　with　the　caps；　and

the　bullets　have　been　trued　to　the　barrel；　so　that　there　may　be　no

accidents　when　it　comes　to　the　shooting。　　If　you　miss　the　aasvogels；

baas；　it　will　not　be　the　fault　of　Intombi　or　of　the　powder　and　the

bullets；　it　will　be　your　own　fault。〃



〃That's　comforting；〃　I　answered。　　〃Well；　come　on；　I　want　to　go　to　the

Death…hill　yonder。〃



〃Why；　baas；　before　the　time？〃　asked　the　Hottentot；　shrinking　back　a

little。　　〃It　is　no　place　to　visit　till　one　is　obliged。　　These　Zulus　say

that　ghosts　sit　there　even　in　the　daylight；　haunting　the　rocks　where

they　were　made　ghosts。〃



〃Vultures　sit　or　fly　there　also；　Hans；　and　I　would　see　how　they　fly；

that　I　may　know　when　and　where　to　shoot　at　them。〃



〃That　is　right；　baas；〃　said　the　clever　Hottentot。　　〃This　is　not　like

firing　at　geese　in　the　Groote　Kloof。　　The　geese　go　straight；　like　an

assegai　to　its　mark。　　But　the　aasvogels　wheel　round　and　round；　always　on

the　turn；　it　is　easy　to　miss　a　bird　that　is　turning；　baas。〃



〃Very　easy。　　Come　on。〃



Just　as　we　were　starting　Vrouw　Prinsloo　appeared　from　behind　the　other

wagon；　and　with　her　Marie；　who；　I　noticed；　was　very　pale　and　whose

beautiful　eyes　were　red；　as　though　with　weeping。



The　vrouw　asked　me　where　we　were　going。　　I　told　her。　　After　considering

a　little；　she　said　that　was　a　good　thought　of　mine；　as　it　was　always

well　to　study　the　ground　before　a　battle。



I　nodded；　and　led　Marie　aside　behind　some　thorn　trees　that　grew　near。



〃Oh！　Allan；　what　will　be　the　end　of　this？〃　she　asked　piteously。　　High　as

was　her　courage　it　seemed　to　fail　her　now。



〃A　good　end；　dearest；〃　I　answered。　　〃We　shall　come　out　of　this　hole

safely；　as　we　have　of　many　others。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that；　Allan；　which　is　known　to　God　alone？〃



〃Because　God　told　me；　Marie；〃　and　I　repeated　to　her　the　story　of　the

voice　I　had　heard　in　my　dream；　which　seemed　to　comfort　her。



〃Yet；　yet；〃　she　exclaimed　doubtfully；　〃it　was　but　a　dream；　Allan；　and

dreams　are　such　uncertain　things。　　You　may　fail；　after　all。〃



〃Do　I　look　like　one　who　will　fail；　Marie？〃



She　studied　me　from　head　to　foot；　then　answered：



〃No；　you　do　not；　although　you　did　when　you　came　back　from　the　king's

huts。　　Now　you　are　quite　changed。　　Still；　Allan；　you　may　fail；　and

thenwhat？　　Some　of　those　dreadful　Zulus　have　been　here　while　you　were

sleeping；　bidding　us　all　make　ready　to　go　to　the　Hill　of　Death。　　They

say　that　Dingaan　is　in　earnest。　　If　you　do　not　kill　the　vultures；　he

will　kill　us。　　It　seems　that　they　are　sacred　birds；　and　if　they　escape

he　will　think　he　has　nothing　to　fear　from　the　white　men　and　their　magic；

and　so　will　make　a　beginning　by　butchering　us。　　I　mean　the　rest　of　us；

for　I　am　to　be　kept　alive；　and　oh！　what　shall　I　do；　Allan？〃



I　looked　at　her；　and　she　looked　at　me。　　Then　I　took　the　double…barrelled

pistol　out　of　my　pocket　and　gave　it　to　her。



〃It　is　loaded　and　on　the　half…cock；〃　I　said。



She　nodded；　and　hid　it　in　her　dress　beneath　her　apron。　　Then　without

more　words　we　kissed　and　parted；　for　both　of　us　feared　to　prolong　that

scene。





The　hill　Hloma　Amabutu　was　quite　close　to　our　encampment　and　the　huts　of

the　Reverend　Mr。　Owen；　scarcely　a　quarter　of　a　mile　off；　I　should　say；

rising　from　the　flat　veld　on　the　further　side　of　a　little　depression

that　hardly　amounted　to　a　valley。　　As　we　approached　it　I　noticed　its

peculiar　and　blasted　appearance；　for　whereas　all　around　the　grass　was

vivid　with　the　green　of　spring；　on　this　place　none　seemed　to　grow。　　An

eminence　strewn　with　tumbled　heaps　of　blackish　rock；　and　among　them　a

few　struggling；　dark…leaved　bushes；　that　was　its　appearance。　　Moreover；

many　of　these　boulders　looked　as　though　they　had　been　splashed　and　lined

with　whitewash；　showing　that　they　were　the　resting…place　of　hundreds　of

gorged　vultures。



I　believe　it　is　the　Chinese　who　declare　that　particular　localities　have

good　or　evil　influences　attached　to　them；　some　kind　of　spirit　of　their

own；　and　really　Hloma　Amabutu　and　a　few　other　spots　that　I　am　acquainted

with　in　Africa　give　colour　to　the　fancy。　　Certainly　as　I　set　foot　upon

that　accursed　ground；　that　Golgotha；　that　Place　of　Skulls；　a　shiver　went

through　me。　　It　may　have　been　caused　by　the　atmosphere；　moral　and

actual；　of　the　mount；　or　it　may　have　been　a　prescience　of　a　certain

dreadful　scene　which　within　a　few　months　I　was　doomed　to　witness　there。　

Or　perhaps　the　place　itself　and　the　knowledge　of　the　trial　before　me

sent　a　sudden　chill　through　my　healthy　blood。　　I　cannot　say　which　it

was；　but　the　fact　remains　as　I　have　stated；　although　a　minute　or　two

later；　when　I　saw　what　kind　of　sleepers　lay　upon　that　mount；　it　would

not　have　been　necessary　for　me　to　seek　any　far…fetched　explanation　of　my

fear。



Across　this　hill；　winding　in　and　out　between　the　rough　rocks　that　lay

here；　there　and　everywhere　like　hailstones　after　a　winter　storm；　ran

sundry　paths。　　It　seems　that　the　shortest　road　to　various　places　in　the

neighbourhood　of　the　Great　Kraal　ran　over　it；　and　although　no　Zulu　ever

dared　to　set　foot　there　between　sun…set　and　rise；　in　the　daytime　they

used　these　paths　freely　enough。　　But　I　suppose　that　they　also　held　that

this　evil…omened　field　of　death　had　some　spirit　of　its　own；　some

invisible　but　imminent　fiend；　who　needed　to　be　propitiated；　lest　soon　he

should　claim　them　also。



This　was　their　method　of　propitiation；　a　common　one　enough；　I　believe；

in　many　lands；　though　what　may　be　its　meaning　I　cannot　tell。　　As　the

traveller　came　to　those　spots　where　the　paths　cut　across　each　other；　he

took　a　stone　and　threw　it　on　to　a　heap　that　had　been　accumulated　there

by　the　hands　of　other　travellers。　　There　were　many　such　heaps　upon　the

hill；　over　a　dozen；　I　think；　and　the　size　of　them　was　great。　　I　should

say　that　the　biggest　contained　quite　fifty　loads　of　stones；　and　the

smallest　not　fewer　than　twenty　or　thirty。



Now；　Hans；　although　he　had　never　set　foot　there　before；　seemed　to　have

learned　all　the　traditions　of　the　place；　and　what　rites　were　necessary

to　avert　its　curse。　　At　any　rate；　when　we　came　to　the　first　heap；　he

cast　a　stone　upon　it；　and　begged　me　to　do　the　same。　　I　laughed　and

refused；　but　when　we　reached　the　second　heap　the　same　thing　happened。　

Again　I　refused；　whereon；　before　we　came　to　a　third　and　larger　pile；

Hans　sat　down　upon　the　ground　and　began　to　groan；　swearing　that　he　would

no