marie-第44节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Christian　to　submit　to　injuries；　and　therefore　I　will　do　as　you　wish。　

As　to　these　bearers　of　false　witness；　I　leave　them　to　God。〃



〃And　I　leave　you　to　the　devil；〃　shouted　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　〃who　will

certainly　have　you　soon　or　late。　　Get　out　of　my　sight；　stinkcat；　or　I

will　pull　your　hair　off。〃　And　she　rushed　at　him；　flapping　her　dreadful

vatdoekwhich　she　produced　from　some　recess　in　her　raimentin　his

face；　driving　him　away　as　though　he　were　a　noxious　insect。



Well；　he　went　I　know　not　where；　and　so　strong　was　public　opinion　against

him　that　I　do　not　think　that　even　his　uncle；　Henri　Marais；　sought　him

out　to　console　him。



When　Pereira　was　gone；　our　party　and　that　of　Retief　fell　into　talk；　and

we　had　much　to　tell。　　Especially　was　the　commandant　interested　in　the

story　of　my　bet　with　Dingaan；　whereby　I　saved　the　lives　of　all　my

companions　by　shooting　the　vultures。



〃It　was　not　for　nothing；　nephew；　that　God　Almighty　gave　you　the　power　of

holding　a　gun　so　straight；〃　said　Retief　to　me　when　he　understood　the

matter。　　〃I　remember　that　when　you　killed　those　wildfowl　in　the　Groote

Kloof　with　bullets；　which　no　other　man　could　have　done；　I　wondered　why

you　should　have　such　a　gift　above　all　the　rest　of　us；　who　have　practised

for　so　many　more　years。　　Well；　now　I　understand。　　God　Almighty　is　no

fool；　He　knows　His　business。　　I　wish　you　were　coming　back　with　me　to

Dingaan；　but　as　that　tainted　man；　Hernan　Pereira；　is　of　my　company；

perhaps　it　is　better　that　you　should　stay　away。　　Tell　me；　now；　about

this　Dingaan；　does　he　mean　to　kill　us？〃



〃Not　this　time；　I　think；　uncle；〃　I　answered；　〃because　first　he　wishes　to

learn　all　about　the　Boers。　　Still；　do　not　trust　him　too　far　just　because

he　speaks　you　softly。　　Remember；　that　if　I　had　missed　the　third　vulture；

we　should　all　have　been　dead　by　now。　　And；　if　you　are　wise；　keep　an　eye

upon　Hernan　Pereira。〃



〃These　things　I　will　do；　nephew；　especially　the　last　of　them；　and　now　we

must　be　getting　on。　　Stay；　come　here；　Henri　Marais；　I　have　a　word　to　say

to　you。　　I　understand　that　this　little　Englishman；　Allan　Quatermain；　who

is　worth　ten　bigger　men；　loves　your　daughter；　whose　life　he　has　saved

again　and　again；　and　that　she　loves　him。　　Why；　then；　do　you　not　let　them

marry　in　a　decent　fashion？〃



〃Because　before　God　I　have　sworn　her　to　another　manto　my　nephew；

Hernan　Pereira；　whom　everyone　slanders；〃　answered　Marais　sulkily。　

〃Until　she　is　of　age　that　oath　holds。〃



〃Oho！〃　said　Retief；　〃you　have　sworn　your　lamb　to　that　hyena；　have　you？　

Well；　look　out　that　he　does　not　crack　your　bones　as　well　as　hers；　and

perhaps　some　others　also。　　Why　does　God　give　some　men　a　worm　in　their

brains；　as　He　does　to　the　wildebeeste；　a　worm　that　always　makes　them　run

the　wrong　way？　　I　don't　know；　I　am　sure；　but　you　who　are　very　religious；

Henri　Marais；　might　think　the　matter　over　and　tell　me　the　answer　when

next　we　meet。　　Well；　this　girl　of　yours　will　soon　be　of　age；　and　then；

as　I　am　commandant　down　yonder　where　she　is　going；　I'll　see　she　marries

the　man　she　wants；　whatever　you　say；　Henri　Marais。　　Heaven　above　us！　I

only　wish　it　were　my　daughter　he　was　in　love　with。　　A　fellow　who　can

shoot　to　such　good　purpose　might　have　the　lot　of　them〃；　and　uttering　one

of　his　great；　hearty　laughs；　he　walked　off　to　his　horse。





On　the　morrow　of　this　meeting　we　forded　the　Tugela　and　entered　the

territory　that　is　now　called　Natal。　　Two　days'　short　trekking　through　a

beautiful　country　brought　us　to　some　hills　that　I　think　were　called

Pakadi；　or　else　a　chief　named　Pakadi　lived　there；　I　forget　which。　

Crossing　these　hills；　on　the　further　side　of　them；　as　Retief　had　told　us

we　should　do；　we　found　a　large　party　of　the　trek…Boers；　who　were　already

occupying　this　land　on　the　hither　side　of　the　Bushman's　River；　little

knowing；　poor　people；　that　it　was　fated　to　become　the　grave　of　many　of

them。　　To…day；　and　for　all　future　time；　that　district　is　and　will　be

known　by　the　name　of　Weenen；　or　the　Place　of　Weeping；　because　of　those

pioneers　who　here　were　massacred　by　Dingaan　within　a　few　weeks　of　the

time　of　which　I　write。



Nice　as　the　land　was；　for　some　reason　or　other　it　did　not　quite　suit　my

fancy；　and　therefore；　in　view　of　my　approaching　marriage　with　Marie；

having　purchased　a　horse　from　one　of　the　trek…Boers；　I　began　to　explore

the　country　round。　　My　object　was　to　find　a　stretch　of　fertile　veld

where　we　could　settle　when　we　were　wedded；　and　such　a　spot　I　discovered

after　some　trouble。　　It　lay　about　thirty　miles　away　to　the　east；　in　the

loop　of　a　beautiful　stream　that　is　now　known　as　the　Mooi　River。




Enclosed　in　this　loop　were　some　thirty　thousand　acres　of　very　rich；

low…lying　soil；　almost　treeless　and　clothed　with　luxuriant　grasses　where

game　was　extraordinarily　numerous。　　At　the　head　of　it　rose　a　flat…topped

hill；　from　the　crest　of　which；　oddly　enough；　flowed　a　plentiful　stream

of　water　fed　by　a　strong　spring。　　Half…way　down　this　hill；　facing　to　the

east；　and　irrigable　by　the　stream；　was　a　plateau　several　acres　in

extent；　which　furnished　about　the　best　site　for　a　house　that　I　know　in

all　South　Africa。　　Here　I　determined　we　would　build　our　dwelling…place

and　become　rich　by　the　breeding　up　of　great　herds　of　cattle。　　I　should

explain　that　this　ground；　which　once；　as　the　remains　of　their　old　kraals

showed；　had　belonged　to　a　Kaffir　tribe　killed　out　by　Chaka；　the　Zulu

king；　was　to　be　had　for　the　taking。



Indeed；　as　there　was　more　land　than　we　could　possibly　occupy；　I

persuaded　Henri　Marais；　the　Prinsloos　and　the　Meyers；　with　whom　I　had

trekked　from　Delagoa；　to　visit　it　with　me。　　When　they　had　seen　it　they

agreed　to　make　it　their　home　in　the　future；　but　meanwhile　elected　to

return　to　the　other　Boers　for　safety's　sake。　　So　with　the　help　of　some

Kaffirs；　of　whom　there　were　a　few　in　the　district；　remnants　of　those

tribes　which　Chaka　had　destroyed；　I　pegged　out　an　estate　of　about　twelve

thousand　acres　for　myself；　and；　selecting　a　site；　set　the　natives　to

work　to　build　a　rough　mud　house　upon　it　which　would　serve　as　a　temporary

dwelling。　　I　should　add　that　the　Prinsloos　and　the　Meyers　also　made

arrangements　for　the　building　of　similar　shelters　almost　alongside　of　my

own。　　This　done；　I　returned　to　Marie　and　the　trek…Boers。



On　the　morning　after　my　return　to　the　camp　Piet　Retief　appeared　there

with　his　five　or　six　companions。　　I　asked　him　how　he　had　got　on　with

Dingaan。



〃Well　enough；　nephew；〃　he　answered。　　〃At　first　the　king　was　somewhat

angry；　saying　that　we　Boers　had　stolen　six　hundred　head　of　his　cattle。　

But　I　showed　him　that　it　was　the　chief；　Sikonyela；　who　lives　yonder　on

the　Caledon　River；　who　had　dressed　up　his　people　in　white　men's　clothes

and　put　them　upon　horses；　and　afterwards　drove　the　cattle　through　one　of

our　camps　to　make　it　appear　that　we　were　the　thieves。　　Then　he　asked　me

what　was　my　object　in　visiting　him。　　I　answered　that　I　sought　a　grant　of

the　land　south　of　the　Tugela　to　the　sea。



〃'Bring　me　back　the　cattle　that　you　say　Sikonyela　has　stolen；'　he　said；

'and　we　will　talk　about　this　land。'　　To　this　I　agreed　and　soon　after

left　the　kraal。〃



〃What　did　you　do　with　Hernan　Pereira；　uncle？〃　I　asked。



〃This；　Allan。　　When　I　was　at　Umgungundhlovu　I　sought　out　the　truth　of

that　story　you　told　me　as　to　his　having　made　a　plot　to　get　you　killed　by

the　Zulus　on　the　ground　that　you　were　a　wizard。〃



〃And　what　did　you　discover；　uncle？〃



〃I　discovered　that　it　was　true；　for　Dingaan　told　me　so　himself。　　Then　I

sent　for　Pereira　and　ordered　him　out　of　my　camp；　telling　him　that　if　he

came　back　among　the　Boers　I　would　have　him　put　on　his　trial　for

attempted　murder。　　He　said　nothing；　but　went　away。〃



〃Whither　did　he　go？〃



〃To　a　place　that　Dingaan　gave　him　just　outside　his　kraal。　　The　king　said

that　he　would　be　useful　to　him；　as　he　could　mend　guns　and　teach　his

soldiers　to　shoot　with　them。　　So　there；　I　suppose；　he　remains；　unless　he

has　thought　it　wiser　to　make　off。　　At　any　rate；　I　am　sure　that　he　will

not　come　here　to　trouble　you　or　anyone。〃



〃No；　uncle；　but　he　may　trouble　you　_there_；〃　I　said　doubtfully。



〃What　do　you　mean；　Allan？〃



〃I　don't　quite　know；　but　he　is　black…hearted；　a　traitor　by　nature；　and

in　one　way　or　the　other　he　will　stir　up　sorrow。　　Do　you　think　that　he

will　love　you；　for　instance；　after　you　have　hunted　him　out　like　a

thief？〃



Retief　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　laughed　as　he　answered：



〃I　will　take　my　chance　of　that。　　What　is　the　　use　of　troubling　one's

head　about　such　a　snake　of　a　man？　　And　now；　Allan；　I　have　something　to

ask　you。　　Are　you　married　yet？〃



〃No；　uncle；　nor　can　be　for　another　five　weeks；　when　Marie　comes　of　age。　

Her　father　still　holds　that　his　oath　binds　him；　and　I　have　promised　that

I　will　not　take　her　till　then。〃



〃Does　he　indeed；　Allan？　　I　think　that　Henri　Marais　is　'kransick'　（that

is；　cracked）；　or　else　his　cursed　nephew；　Hernan；　has　fascinated　him；　as

a　snake