marie-第55节

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nervously。



〃Come；　Son　of　George；〃　he　said；　〃and　let　us　see　the　end　of　these

traitors　to　your　sovereign。〃



Then　I　was　pulled　along　to　an　eminence　within　the　labyrinth；　whence

there　was　a　view　of　the　surrounding　country。　　Here　we　waited　a　little

while；　listening　to　the　tumult　that　grew　more　distant；　till　presently

the　dreadful　procession　of　death　reappeared；　coming　round　the　fence　of

the　Great　Kraal　and　heading　straight　for　the　Hill　of　Slaughter；　Hloma

Amabutu。　　Soon　its　slopes　were　climbed；　and　there　among　the　dark…leaved

bushes　and　the　rocks　the　black　soldiers　butchered　them；　every　one。



I　saw　and　swooned　away。





I　believe　that　I　remained　senseless　for　many　hours；　though　towards　the

end　of　that　time　my　swoon　grew　thin；　as　it　were；　and　I　heard　a　hollow

voice　speaking　over　me　in　Zulu。



〃I　am　glad　that　the　little　Son　of　George　has　been　saved；〃　said　the

echoing　voice；　which　I　did　not　know；　〃for　he　has　a　great　destiny　and

will　be　useful　to　the　black　people　in　time　to　come。〃　　Then　the　voice

went　on：



〃O　House　of　Senzangacona！　now　you　have　mixed　your　milk　with　blood；　with

white　blood。　　Of　that　bowl　you　shall　drink　to　the　dregs；　and　afterwards

must　the　bowl　be　shattered〃；　and　the　speaker　laugheda　deep；　dreadful

laugh　that　I　was　not　to　hear　again　for　years。



I　heard　him　go　away；　shuffling　along　like　some　great　reptile；　and　then；

with　an　effort；　opened　my　eyes。　　I　was　in　a　large　hut；　and　the　only

light　in　the　hut　came　from　a　fire　that　burned　in　its　centre；　for　it　was

night　time。　　A　Zulu　woman；　young　and　good…looking；　was　bending　over　a

gourd　near　the　fire；　doing　something　to　its　contents。　　I　spoke　to　her

light…headedly。



〃O　woman；〃　I　said；　〃is　that　a　man　who　laughed　over　me？〃



〃Not　altogether；　Macumazahn；〃　she　answered　in　a　pleasant　voice。　　〃That

was　Zikali；　the　Mighty　Magician；　the　Counsellor　of　Kings；　the　Opener　of

Roads；　he　whose　birth　our　grandfathers　do　not　remember；　he　whose　breath

causes　the　trees　to　be　torn　out　by　the　roots；　he　whom　Dingaan　fears　and

obeys。〃



〃Did　he　cause　the　Boers　to　be　killed？〃　I　asked。



〃Mayhap；〃　she　answered。　　〃Who　am　I　that　I　should　know　of　such　matters？〃



〃Are　you　the　woman　who　was　sick　whom　I　was　sent　to　visit？〃　I　asked

again。



〃Yes；　Macumazahn；　I　was　sick；　but　now　I　am　well　and　you　are　sick；　for　so

things　go　round。　　Drink　this；〃　and　she　handed　me　a　gourd　of　milk。



〃How　are　you　named？〃　I　inquired　as　I　took　it。



〃Naya　is　my　name；〃　she　replied；　〃and　I　am　your　jailer。　　Don't　think　that

you　can　escape　me；　though；　Macumazahn；　for　there　are　other　jailers

without　who　carry　spears。　　Drink。〃



So　I　drank　and　bethought　me　that　the　draught　might　be　poisoned。　　Yet　so

thirsty　was　I　that　I　finished　it；　every　drop。



〃Now　am　I　a　dead　man？〃　I　asked；　as　I　put　down　the　gourd。



〃No；　no；　Macumazahn；〃　she　who　called　herself　Naya　replied　in　a　soft

voice；　〃not　a　dead　man；　only　one　who　will　sleep　and　forget。〃



Then　I　lost　count　of　everything　and　sleptfor　how　long　I　know　not。



When　I　awoke　again　it　was　broad　daylight；　in　fact；　the　sun　stood　high　in

the　heavens。　　Perhaps　Naya　had　put　some　drug　into　my　milk；　or　perhaps　I

had　simply　slept。　　I　do　not　know。　　At　any　rate；　I　was　grateful　for　that

sleep；　for　without　it　I　think　that　I　should　have　gone　mad。　　As　it　was；

when　I　remembered；　which　it　took　me　some　time　to　do；　for　a　while　I　went

near　to　insanity。



I　recollect　lying　there　in　that　hut　and　wondering　how　the　Almighty　could

have　permitted　such　a　deed　as　I　had　seen　done。　　How　could　it　be

reconciled　with　any　theory　of　a　loving　and　merciful　Father？　　Those　poor

Boers；　whatever　their　faults；　and　they　had　many；　like　the　rest　of　us；

were　in　the　main　good　and　honest　men　according　to　their　lights。　　Yet

they　had　been　doomed　to　be　thus　brutally　butchered　at　the　nod　of　a

savage　despot；　their　wives　widowed；　their　children　left　fatherless；　or；

as　it　proved　in　the　end；　in　most　cases　murdered　or　orphaned！



The　mystery　was　too　greatgreat　enough　to　throw　off　its　balance　the

mind　of　a　young　man　who　had　witnessed　such　a　fearsome　scene　as　I　have

described。



For　some　days　really　I　think　that　my　reason　hung　just　upon　the　edge　of

that　mental　precipice。　　In　the　end；　however；　reflection　and　education；

of　which　I　had　a　certain　amount；　thanks　to　my　father；　came　to　my　aid。　　I

recalled　that　such　massacres；　often　on　an　infinitely　larger　scale；　had

happened　a　thousand　times　in　history；　and　that　still　through　them；

often；　indeed；　by　means　of　them；　civilisation　has　marched　forward；　and

mercy　and　peace　have　kissed　each　other　over　the　bloody　graves　of　the

victims。



Therefore　even　in　my　youth　and　inexperience　I　concluded　that　some

ineffable　purpose　was　at　work　through　this　horror；　and　that　the　lives　of

those　poor　men　which　had　been　thus　sacrificed　were　necessary　to　that

purpose。　　This　may　appear　a　dreadful　and　fatalistic　doctrine；　but　it　is

one　that　is　corroborated　in　Nature　every　day；　and　doubtless　the

sufferers　meet　with　their　compensations　in　some　other　state。　　Indeed；　if

it　be　not　so；　faith　and　all　the　religions　are　vain。



Or；　of　course；　it　may　chance　that　such　monstrous　calamities　happen；　not

through　the　will　of　the　merciful　Power　of　which　I　have　spoken；　but　in

its　despite。　　Perhaps　the　devil　of　Scripture；　at　whom　we　are　inclined　to

smile；　is　still　very　real　and　active　in　this　world　of　ours。　　Perhaps

from　time　to　time　some　evil　principle　breaks　into　eruption；　like　the

prisoned　forces　of　a　volcano；　bearing　death　and　misery　on　its　wings；

until　in　the　end　it　must　depart　strengthless　and　overcome。　　Who　can　say？



The　question　is　one　that　should　be　referred　to　the　Archbishop　of

Canterbury　and　the　Pope　of　Rome　in　conclave；　with　the　Lama　of　Thibet　for

umpire　in　case　they　disagreed。　　I　only　try　to　put　down　the　thoughts　that

struck　me　so　long　ago　as　my　mind　renders　them　to…day。　　But　very　likely

they　are　not　quite　the　same　thoughts；　for　a　full　generation　has　gone　by

me　since　then；　and　in　that　time　the　intelligence　ripens　as　wine　does　in

a　bottle。



Besides　these　general　matters；　I　had　questions　of　my　own　to　consider

during　those　days　of　imprisonmentfor　instance；　that　of　my　own　safety；

though　of　this；　to　be　honest；　I　thought　little。　　If　I　were　going　to　be

killed；　I　was　going　to　be　killed；　and　there　was　an　end。　　But　my

knowledge　of　Dingaan　told　me　that　he　had　not　massacred　Retief　and　his

companions　for　nothing。　　This　would　be　but　the　prelude　to　a　larger

slaughter；　for　I　had　not　forgotten　what　he　said　as　to　the　sparing　of

Marie　and　the　other　hints　he　gave　me。



From　all　this　I　concluded；　quite　rightly　as　it　proved；　that　some　general

onslaught　was　being　made　upon　the　Boers；　who　probably　would　be　swept　out

to　the　last　man。　　And　to　think　that　here　I　was；　a　prisoner　in　a　Kaffir

kraal；　with　only　a　young　woman　as　a　jailer；　and　yet　utterly　unable　to

escape　to　warn　them。　　For　round　my　hut　lay　a　courtyard；　and　round　it

again　ran　a　reed　fence　about　five　feet　six　inches　high。　　Whenever　I

looked　over　this　fence；　by　night　or　by　day；　I　saw　soldiers　stationed　at

intervals　of　about　fifteen　yards。　　There　they　stood　like　statues；　their

broad　spears　in　their　hands；　all　looking　inwards　towards　the　fence。　

There　they　stoodonly　at　night　their　number　was　doubled。　　Clearly　it

was　not　meant　that　I　should　escape。



A　week　went　by　thusbelieve　me；　a　very　terrible　week。　　During　that　time

my　sole　companion　was　the　pretty　young　woman；　Naya。　　We　became　friends

in　a　way　and　talked　on　a　variety　of　subjects。　　Only；　at　the　end　of　our

conversations　I　always　found　that　I　had　gained　no　information　whatsoever

about　any　matter　of　immediate　interest。　　On　such　points　as　the　history

of　the　Zulu　and　kindred　tribes；　or　the　character　of　Chaka；　the　great

king；　or　anything　else　that　was　remote　she　would　discourse　by　the　hour。　

But　when　we　came　to　current　events；　she　dried　up　like　water　on　a　red…hot

brick。　　Still；　Naya　grew；　or　pretended　to　grow；　quite　attached　to　me。　

She　even　suggested　naively　that　I　might　do　worse　than　marry　her；　which

she　said　Dingaan　was　quite　ready　to　allow；　as　he　was　fond　of　me　and

thought　I　should　be　useful　in　his　country。　　When　I　told　her　that　I　was

already　married；　she　shrugged　her　shining　shoulders　and　asked　with　a

laugh　that　revealed　her　beautiful　teeth：



〃What　does　that　matter？　　Cannot　a　man　have　more　wives　than　one？　　And；

Macumazahn；〃　she　added；　leaning　forward　and　looking　at　me；　〃how　do　you

know　that　you　have　even　one？　　You　may　be　divorced　or　a　widower　by　now。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked。



〃I？　　I　mean　nothing；　do　not　look　at　me　so　fiercely；　Macumazahn。　　Surely

such　things　happen　in　the　world；　do　they　not？〃



〃Naya；〃　I　said；　〃you　are　two　bad　thingsa　bait　and　a　spyand　you　know

it。〃



〃Perhaps　I　do；　Macumazahn；〃　she　answered。　　〃Am　I　to　blame　for　that；　if

my　life　is　on　it；　especially　when　I　really　like　you　for　yourself？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　　〃Tell　me；　when　am　I　going　to　get　out　of　this

plac