marie-第41节

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though　but　by　a　little。



〃Come；〃　I　gasped；　and　began　to　walk　quickly　round　the　edge　of　the

depression　to　a　rock；　which　I　saw　opposite　about　a　hundred　yards　away。　

My　journey　took　me　near　the　Zulus；　who　mocked　me　as　I　passed；　asking

where　my　magic　was；　and　if　I　wished　to　see　the　white　people　killed

presently。　　Dingaan　was　now　offering　odds　of　fifty　cattle　to　one　against

me；　but　no　one　would　take　the　bet　even　with　the　king。



I　made　no　answer；　no；　not　even　when　they　asked　me　〃if　I　had　thrown　down

my　spear　and　was　running　away。〃　　Grimly；　despairingly；　I　marched　on　to

the　rock；　and　took　shelter　behind　it　with　Hans。　　The　Boers；　I　saw；　were

still　upon　their　knees；　but　seemed　to　have　ceased　praying。　　The　children

were　weeping；　the　men　stared　at　each　other；　Vrouw　Prinsloo　had　her　arm

about　Marie's　waist。　　Waiting　there　behind　the　rock；　my　courage　returned

to　me；　as　it　sometimes　does　in　the　last　extremity。　　I　remembered　my

dream　and　took　comfort。　　Surely　God　would　not　be　so　cruel　as　to　suffer

me　to　fail　and　thereby　bring　all　those　poor　people　to　their　deaths。



Snatching　the　rifle　from　Hans；　I　loaded　it　myself；　nothing　must　be

trusted　to　another。　　As　I　put　on　the　cap　a　vulture　made　its　last　circle。

　It　hung　in　the　air　just　as　the　others　had　done；　and　oh！　its　tail　was

towards　me。　　I　lifted；　I　aimed　between　the　gathered…up　legs；　I　pressed

and　shut　my　eyes；　for　I　did　not　dare　to　look。



I　heard　the　bullet　strike；　or　seem　to　strike；　and　a　few　seconds　later　I

heard　something　elsethe　noise　of　a　heavy　thud　upon　the　ground。　　I

looked；　and　there　with　outstretched　wings　lay　the　foul　bird　dead；　stone

dead；　eight　or　ten　paces　from　the　bodies。



〃Allemachte！　that's　better；〃　said　Hans。　　〃You　threw　stones　on　to　_all_

the　other　heaps；　didn't　you；　baas？〃



The　Zulus　grew　excited；　and　the　odds　went　down　a　little。　　The　Boers

stretched　out　their　white　faces　and　stared　at　me；　I　saw　them　out　of　the

corner　of　my　eye　as　I　loaded　again。　　Another　vulture　came；　seeing　one　of

its　companions　on　the　ground；　if　in　a　somewhat　unnatural　attitude；

perhaps　it　thought　that　there　could　be　nothing　to　fear。　　I　leaned

against　my　rock；　aimed；　and　fired；　almost　carelessly；　so　sure　was　I　of

the　result。　　This　time　I　did　not　shut　my　eyes；　but　watched　to　see　what

happened。



The　bullet　struck　the　bird　between　its　thighs；　raked　it　from　end　to　end；

and　down　it　came　like　a　stone　almost　upon　the　top　of　its　fellow。



〃Good；　good！〃　said　Hans　with　a　guttural　chuckle　of　delight。　　〃Now；　baas；

make　no　mistake　with　the　third；　and　'als　sall　recht　kommen'　（all　shall

be　well）。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃_if_　I　make　no　mistake　with　the　third。〃



I　loaded　the　rifle　again　myself；　being　very　careful　to　ram　down　the

powder　well　and　to　select　a　bullet　that　fitted　perfectly　true　to　the

bore。　　Moreover；　I　cleared　the　nipple　with　a　thorn；　and　shook　a　little

fine　powder　into　it；　so　as　to　obviate　any　chance　of　a　miss…fire。　　Then　I

set　on　the　cap　and　waited。　　What　was　going　on　among　the　Boers　or　the

Zulus　I　do　not　know。　　In　this　last　crisis　of　all　our　fates　I　never

looked；　being　too　intent　upon　my　own　part　in　the　drama。



By　now　the　vultures　appeared　to　have　realised　that　something　unusual　was

in　progress；　which　threatened　danger　to　them。　　At　any　rate；　although　by

this　time　they　had　collected　in　hundreds　from　east；　west；　north；　and

south；　and　were　wheeling　the　heavens　above　in　their　vast；　majestic

circles；　none　of　them　seemed　to　care　to　descend　to　prey　upon　the　bodies。

　I　watched；　and　saw　that　among　their　number　was　that　great　king　bird

which　had　bitten　Hans　in　the　face；　it　was　easy　to　distinguish　him；

because　he　was　so　much　larger　than　the　others。　　Also；　he　had　some　white

at　the　tips　of　his　wings。　　I　observed　that　certain　of　his　company　drew

near　to　him　in　the　skies；　where　they　hung　together　in　a　knot；　as　though

in　consultation。



They　separated　out　again；　and　the　king　began　to　descend；　deputed

probably　to　spy　out　the　land。　　Down　he　came　in　ever…narrowing　turns；

till　he　reached　the　appointed　spot　for　the　plunge；　and；　according　to　the

immemorial　custom　of　these　birds；　hung　a　while　before　he　pounced　with

his　head　to　the　south　and　his　great；　spreading　tail　towards　me。



This　was　my　chance；　and；　rejoicing　in　having　so　large　a　mark；　I　got　the

sight　upon　him　and　pulled。　　The　bullet　thudded；　some　feathers　floated

from　his　belly；　showing　that　it　had　gone　home；　and　I　looked　to　see　him

fall　as　the　others　had　done。　　But　alas！　he　did　not　fall。　　For　a　few

seconds　he　rocked　to　and　fro　upon　his　great　wings；　then　commenced　to

travel　upwards　in　vast　circles；　which　grew　gradually　more　narrow；　till

he　appeared　to　be　flying　almost　straight　into　the　empyrean。　　I　stared

and　stared。　　Everybody　stared；　till　that　enormous　bird　became；　first　a

mere　blot　upon　the　blue；　and　at　length　but　a　speck。　　Then　it　vanished

altogether　into　regions　far　beyond　the　sight　of　man。



〃Now　there　is　an　end；〃　I　said　to　Hans。



〃Ja；　baas；〃　answered　the　Hottentot　between　his　chattering　teeth；　〃there

is　an　end。　　You　did　not　put　in　enough　powder。　　Presently　we　shall　all　be

dead。〃



〃Not　quite；〃　I　said　with　a　bitter　laugh。　　〃Hans；　load　the　rifle；　load　it

quick。　　Before　they　die　there　shall　be　another　king　in　Zululand。〃



〃Good；　good！〃　he　exclaimed　as　he　loaded　desperately。　　〃Let　us　take　that

fat　pig　of　a　Dingaan　with　us。　　Shoot　him　in　the　stomach；　baas；　shoot　him

in　the　stomach；　so　that　he　too　may　learn　what　it　is　to　die　slowly。　　Then

cut　my　throat；　here　is　my　big　knife；　and　afterwards　cut　your　own；　if　you

have　not　time　to　load　the　gun　again　and　shoot　yourself；　which　is

easier。〃



I　nodded；　for　it　was　in　my　mind　to　do　these　things。　　Never　could　I　stand

still　and　see　those　poor　Boers　killed；　and　I　knew　that　Marie　would　look

after　herself。



Meanwhile；　the　Zulus　were　coming　towards　me；　and　the　soldiers　who　had

charge　of　them　were　driving　up　Marais's　people；　making　pretence　to

thrust　them　through　with　their　assegais；　and　shouting　at　them　as　men　do

at　cattle。　　Both　parties　arrived　in　the　depression　at　about　the　same

time；　but　remained　separated　by　a　little　space。　　In　this　space　lay　the

corpses　of　the　murdered　men　and　the　two　dead　aasvogels；　with　Hans　and

myself　standing　opposite　to　them。



〃Well；　little　Son　of　George；〃　puffed　Dingaan；　〃you　have　lost　your　bet；

for　you　did　but　kill　two　vultures　out　of　five　with　your　magic；　which　was

good　as　far　as　it　went；　but　not　good　enough。　　Now　you　must　pay；　as　I

would　have　paid　had　you　won。〃



Then　he　stretched　out　his　hand；　and　issued　the　dreadful　order　of　〃Bulala

amalongu！〃　（Kill　the　white　people）。　　〃Kill　them　one　by　one；　that　I　may

see　whether　they　know　how　to　die；　all　except　Macumazahn　and　the　tall

girl；　whom　I　keep。〃



Some　of　the　soldiers　made　a　dash　and　seized　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　who　was

standing　in　front　of　the　party。



〃Wait　a　little；　King；〃　she　called　out　as　the　assegais　were　lifted　over

her。　　〃How　do　you　know　that　the　bet　is　lost？　　He　whom　you　call

Macumazahn　hit　that　last　vulture。　　It　should　be　searched　for　before　you

kill　us。〃



〃What　does　the　old　woman　say？〃　asked　Dingaan；　and　Halstead　translated

slowly。



〃True；〃　said　Dingaan。　　〃Well；　now　I　will　send　her　to　search　for　the

vulture　in　the　sky。　　Come　back　thence；　Fat　One；　and　tell　us　if　you　find

it。〃



The　soldiers　lifted　their　assegais；　waiting　the　king's　word。　　I

pretended　to　look　at　the　ground；　and　cocked　my　rifle；　being　determined

that　if　he　spoke　it；　it　should　be　his　last。　　Hans　stared　upwardsI

suppose　to　avoid　the　sight　of　deaththen　suddenly　uttered　a　wild　yell；

which　caused　everyone；　even　the　doomed　people；　to　turn　their　eyes　to

him。　　He　was　pointing　to　the　heavens；　and　they　looked　to　see　at　what　he

pointed。



This　was　what　they　saw。　　Far；　far　above　in　that　infinite　sea　of　blue

there　appeared　a　tiny　speck；　which　his　sharp　sight　had　already

discerned；　a　speck　that　grew　larger　and　larger　as　it　descended　with

terrific　and　ever…growing　speed。



_It　was　the　king　vulture　falling　from　the　heavensdead！_



Down　it　came　between　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　and　the　slayers；　smashing　the

lifted　assegai　of　one　of　them　and　hurling　him　to　the　earth。　　Down　it

came；　and　lay　there　a　mere　mass　of　pulp　and　feathers。



〃O　Dingaan；〃　I　said　in　the　midst　of　the　intense　silence　that　followed；

〃it　seems　that　it　is　I　who　have　won　the　bet；　not　you。　　I　killed　this

king　of　birds；　but　being　a　king　it　chose　to　die　high　up　and　alone；　that

is　all。〃



Dingaan　hesitated；　for　he　did　not　wish　to　spare　the　Boers；　and　I；　noting

his　hesitation；　lifted　my　rifle　a　little。　　Perhaps　he　saw　it；　or　perhaps

his　sense　of　honour；　as　he　understood　the　word；　overcame　his　wish　for

their　blood。　　At　any　rate；　he　said　to　one　of　his　councillors：



〃Search　the　carcase　of　that　vulture　and　see　if　there　is　a　bullet　hole　in

it。〃



The　man　obeyed；　feeling　at　the　mass　of　broken　bones　and　flesh。　　By　good

fortune　he　found；　not　the　hole；　for　that　was　lost　in　the　g