marie-第5节

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me。　　　True；　it　was　a　very　discreet　affection；　almost　sisterly；　or　even

motherly；　in　its　outward　and　visible　aspects；　as　though　she　could　never

forget　that　extra　half…inch　of　height　or　month　or　two　of　age。



Moreover；　from　a　child　she　was　a　woman；　as　an　Irishman　might　say；　for

circumstances　and　character　had　shaped　her　thus。　　Not　much　more　than　a

year　before　we　met；　her　mother；　whose　only　child　she　was；　and　whom　she

loved　with　all　her　strong　and　passionate　heart；　died　after　a　lingering

illness；　leaving　her　in　charge　of　her　father　and　his　house。　　I　think　it

was　this　heavy　bereavement　in　early　youth　which　coloured　her　nature　with

a　grey　tinge　of　sadness　and　made　her　seem　so　much　older　than　her　years。



So　the　time　went　on；　I　worshipping　Marie　in　my　secret　thought；　but

saying　nothing　about　it；　and　Marie　talking　of　and　acting　towards　me　as

though　I　were　her　dear　younger　brother。　　Nobody；　not　even　her　father　or

mine；　or　Monsieur　Leblanc；　took　the　slightest　notice　of　this　queer

relationship；　or　seemed　to　dream　that　it　might　lead　to　ultimate

complications　which；　in　fact；　would　have　been　very　distasteful　to　them

all　for　reasons　that　I　will　explain。



Needless　to　say；　in　due　course；　as　they　were　bound　to　do；　those

complications　arose；　and　under　pressure　of　great　physical　and　moral

excitement　the　truth　came　out。　　It　happened　thus。



Every　reader　of　the　history　of　the　Cape　Colony　has　heard　of　the　great

Kaffir　War　of　1835。　　That　war　took　place　for　the　most　part　in　the

districts　of　Albany　and　Somerset；　so　that　we　inhabitants　of　Cradock；　on

the　whole；　suffered　little。　　Therefore；　with　the　natural　optimism　and

carelessness　of　danger　of　dwellers　in　wild　places；　we　began　to　think

ourselves　fairly　safe　from　attack。　　Indeed；　so　we　should　have　been；　had

it　not　been　for　a　foolish　action　on　the　part　of　Monsieur　Leblanc。



It　seems　that　on　a　certain　Sunday；　a　day　that　I　always　spent　at　home

with　my　father；　Monsieur　Leblanc　rode　out　alone　to　some　hills　about　five

miles　distant　from　Maraisfontein。　　He　had　often　been　cautioned　that　this

was　an　unsafe　thing　to　do；　but　the　truth　is　that　the　foolish　man　thought

he　had　found　a　rich　copper　mine　in　these　hills；　and　was　anxious　that　no

one　should　share　his　secret。　　Therefore；　on　Sundays；　when　there　were　no

lessons；　and　the　Heer　Marais　was　in　the　habit　of　celebrating　family

prayers；　which　Leblanc　disliked；　it　was　customary　for　him　to　ride　to

these　hills　and　there　collect　geological　specimens　and　locate　the　strike

of　his　copper　vein。　　On　this　particular　Sabbath；　which　was　very　hot；

after　he　had　done　whatever　he　intended　to　do；　he　dismounted　from　his

horse；　a　tame　old　beast。　　Leaving　it　loose；　he　partook　of　the　meal　he

had　brought　with　him；　which　seems　to　have　included　a　bottle　of　peach

brandy　that　induced　slumber。



Waking　up　towards　evening；　he　found　that　his　horse　had　gone；　and　at　once

jumped　to　the　conclusion　that　it　had　been　stolen　by　Kaffirs；　although　in

truth　the　animal　had　but　strolled　over　a　ridge　in　search　of　grass。　

Running　hither　and　thither　to　seek　it；　he　presently　crossed　this　ridge

and　met　the　horse；　apparently　being　led　away　by　two　of　the　Red　Kaffirs；

who；　as　was　usual；　were　armed　with　assegais。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　these

men　had　found　the　beast；　and；　knowing　well　to　whom　it　belonged；　were

seeking　its　owner；　whom；　earlier　in　the　day；　they　had　seen　upon　the

hills；　in　order　to　restore　it　to　him。　　This；　however；　never　occurred　to

the　mind　of　Monsieur　Leblanc；　excited　as　it　was　by　the　fumes　of　the

peach　brandy。



Lifting　the　double…barrelled　gun　he　carried；　he　fired　at　the　first

Kaffir；　a　young　man　who　chanced　to　be　the　eldest　son　and　heir　of　the

chief　of　the　tribe；　and；　as　the　range　was　very　close；　shot　him　dead。　

Thereon　his　companion；　leaving　go　of　the　horse；　ran　for　his　life。　　At

him　Leblanc　fired　also；　wounding　him　slightly　in　the　thigh；　but　no　more；

so　that　he　escaped　to　tell　the　tale　of　what　he　and　every　other　native

for　miles　round　considered　a　wanton　and　premeditated　murder。　　The　deed

done；　the　fiery　old　Frenchman　mounted　his　nag　and　rode　quietly　home。　　On

the　road；　however；　as　the　peach　brandy　evaporated　from　his　brain；　doubts

entered　it；　with　the　result　that　he　determined　to　say　nothing　of　his

adventure　to　Henri　Marais；　who　he　knew　was　particularly　anxious　to　avoid

any　cause　of　quarrel　with　the　Kaffirs。



So　he　kept　his　own　counsel　and　went　to　bed。　　Before　he　was　up　next

morning　the　Heer　Marais；　suspecting　neither　trouble　nor　danger；　had

ridden　off　to　a　farm　thirty　miles　or　more　away　to　pay　its　owner　for　some

cattle　which　he　had　recently　bought；　leaving　his　home　and　his　daughter

quite　unprotected；　except　by　Leblanc　and　the　few　native　servants；　who

were　really　slaves；　that　lived　about　the　place。



Now　on　the　Monday　night　I　went　to　bed　as　usual；　and　slept；　as　I　have

always　done　through　life；　like　a　top；　till　about　four　in　the　morning；

when　I　was　awakened　by　someone　tapping　at　the　glass　of　my　window。　

Slipping　from　the　bed；　I　felt　for　my　pistol；　as　it　was　quite　dark；　crept

to　the　window；　opened　it；　and　keeping　my　head　below　the　level　of　the

sill；　fearing　lest　its　appearance　should　be　greeted　with　an　assegai；

asked　who　was　there。



〃Me；　baas；〃　said　the　voice　of　Hans；　our　Hottentot　servant；　who；　it　will

be　remembered；　had　accompanied　me　as　after…rider　when　first　I　went　to

Maraisfontein。　　〃I　have　bad　news。　　Listen。　　The　baas　knows　that　I　have

been　out　searching　for　the　red　cow　which　was　lost。　　Well；　I　found　her；

and　was　sleeping　by　her　side　under　a　tree　on　the　veld　when；　about　two

hours　ago；　a　woman　whom　I　know　came　up　to　my　camp　fire　and　woke　me。　　I

asked　her　what　she　was　doing　at　that　hour　of　the　night；　and　she　answered

that　she　had　come　to　tell　me　something。　　She　said　that　some　young　men　of

the　tribe　of　the　chief　Quabie；　who　lives　in　the　hills　yonder；　had　been

visiting　at　their　kraal；　and　that　a　few　hours　before　a　messenger　had

arrived　from　the　chief　saying　that　they　must　return　at　once；　as　this

morning　at　dawn　he　and　all　his　men　were　going　to　attack　Maraisfontein

and　kill　everyone　in　it　and　take　the　cattle！〃



〃Good　God！〃　I　ejaculated。　　〃Why？〃



〃Because；　young　baas；〃　drawled　the　Hottentot　from　the　other　side　of　the

window；　〃because　someone　from　MaraisfonteinI　think　it　was　the　Vulture〃

（the　natives　gave　this　name　to　Leblanc　on　account　of　his　bald　head　and

hooked　nose）〃shot　Quabie's　son　on　Sunday　when　he　was　holding　his

horse。〃



〃Good　God！〃　I　said　again；　〃the　old　fool　must　have　been　drunk。　　When　did

you　say　the　attack　was　to　beat　dawn？〃　and　I　glanced　at　the　stars；

adding；　〃Why；　that　will　be　within　less　than　an　hour；　and　the　Baas　Marais

is　away。〃



〃Yes；〃　croaked　Hans；　〃and　Missie　Mariethink　of　what　the　Red　Kaffirs

will　do　with　Missie　Marie　when　their　blood　is　up。〃



I　thrust　my　fist　through　the　window　and　struck　the　Hottentot's　toad…like

face　on　which　the　starlight　gleamed　faintly。



〃Dog！〃　I　said；　〃saddle　my　mare　and　the　roan　horse　and　get　your　gun。　　In

two　minutes　I　come。　　Be　swift　or　I　kill　you。〃



〃I　go；〃　he　answered；　and　shot　out　into　the　night　like　a　frightened

snake。



Then　I　began　to　dress；　shouting　as　I　dressed；　till　my　father　and　the

Kaffirs　ran　into　the　room。　　As　I　threw　on　my　things　I　told　them　all。



〃Send　out　messengers；〃　I　said；　〃to　Maraishe　is　at　Botha's　farmand　to

all　the　neighbours。　　Send；　for　your　lives；　gather　up　the　friendly

Kaffirs　and　ride　like　hell　for　Maraisfontein。　　Don't　talk　to　me；　father；

don't　talk！　　Go　and　do　what　I　tell　you。　　Stay！　　Give　me　two　guns；　fill

the　saddle…bags　with　powder　tins　and　loopers；　and　tie　them　to　my　mare。　

Oh！　be　quick；　be　quick！〃



Now　at　length　they　understood；　and　flew　this　way　and　that　with　candles

and　lanterns。　　Two　minutes　laterit　could　scarcely　have　been　moreI

was　in　front　of　the　stables　just　as　Hans　led　out　the　bay　mare；　a　famous

beast　that　for　two　years　I　had　saved　all　my　money　to　buy。　　Someone

strapped　on　the　saddle…bags　while　I　tested　the　girths；　someone　else

appeared　with　the　stout　roan　stallion　that　I　knew　would　follow　the　mare

to　the　death。　　There　was　not　time　to　saddle　him；　so　Hans　clambered　on　to

his　back　like　a　monkey；　holding　two　guns　under　his　arm；　for　I　carried

but　one　and　my　double…barrelled　pistol。



〃Send　off　the　messengers；〃　I　shouted　to　my　father。　　〃If　you　would　see　me

again　send　them　swiftly；　and　follow　with　every　man　you　can　raise。〃



Then　we　were　away　with　fifteen　miles　to　do　and　five…and…thirty　minutes

before　the　dawn。



〃Softly　up　the　slope；〃　I　said　to　Hans；　〃till　the　beasts　get　their　wind；

and　then　ride　as　you　never　rode　before。〃



Those　first　two　miles　of　rising　ground！　　I　thought　we　should　never　come

to　the　end　of　them；　and　yet　I　dared　not　let　the　mare　out　lest　she　should

bucket　herself。　　Happily　she　and　her　companion；　the　stalliona　most

enduring　horse；　though　not　so　very　swifthad　stood　idle　for　the　last

thirty　hours；　and；　of　course；　had　not　eaten　or　drunk　since　sunset。