marie-第59节

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〃See；〃　said　Marie；　〃my　father　is　among　them；　and　my　cousin　Hernan　rides

at　his　side。〃



It　was　true。　　There　was　Henri　Marais；　and　just　behind　him；　talking　into

his　ear；　rode　Hernan　Pereira。　　I　remember　that　the　two　of　them　reminded

me　of　a　tale　I　had　read　about　a　man　who　was　cursed　with　an　evil　genius

that　drew　him　to　some　dreadful　doom　in　spite　of　the　promptings　of　his

better　nature。　　The　thin；　worn；　wild…eyed　Marais；　and　the　rich…faced；

carnal　Pereira　whispering　slyly　into　his　ear；　they　were　exact　types　of

that　man　in　the　story　and　his　evil　genius　who　dragged　him　down　to　hell。　

Prompted　by　some　impulse；　I　threw　my　arms　round　Marie　and　embraced　her；

saying：



〃At　least　we　have　been　very　happy　for　a　while。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　Allan？〃　she　asked　doubtfully。



〃Only　that　I　think　our　good　hours　are　done　with　for　the　present。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　she　answered　slowly；　〃but　at　least　they　have　been　very　good

hours；　and　if　I　should　die　to…day　I　am　glad　to　have　lived　to　win　them。〃



Then　the　cavalcade　of　Boers　came　up。



Hernan　Pereira；　his　senses　sharpened　perhaps　by　the　instincts　of　hate

and　jealousy；　was　the　first　to　recognise　me。



〃Why；　Mynheer　Allan　Quatermain；〃　he　said；　〃how　is　it　that　you　are　here？　

How　is　it　that　you　still　live？　　Commandant；〃　he　added；　turning　to　a

dark；　sad…faced　man　of　about　sixty　whom　at　that　time　I　did　not　know；

〃here　is　a　strange　thing。　　This　Heer　Quatermain；　an　Englishman；　was　with

the　Governor　Retief　at　the　town　of　the　Zulu　king；　as　the　Heer　Henri

Marais　can　testify。　　Now；　as　we　know　for　sure　Pieter　Retief　and　all　his

people　are　dead；　murdered　by　Dingaan；　how　then　does　it　happen　that　this

man　has　escaped？〃



〃Why　do　you　put　riddles　to　me；　Mynheer　Pereira？〃　asked　the　dark　Boer。　

〃Doubtless　the　Englishman　will　explain。〃



〃Certainly　I　will；　mynheer；〃　I　said。　　〃Is　it　your　pleasure　that　I　should

speak　now？〃



The　commandant　hesitated。　　Then；　having　called　Henri　Marais　apart　and

talked　to　him　for　a　little　while；　he　replied：



〃No；　not　now；　I　think；　the　matter　is　too　serious。　　After　we　have　eaten

we　will　listen　to　your　story；　Mynheer　Quatermain；　and　meanwhile　I

command　you　not　to　leave　this　place。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　I　am　a　prisoner；　commandant？〃　I　asked。



〃If　you　put　it　soyes；　Mynheer　Quatermaina　prisoner　who　has　to

explain　how　some　sixty　of　our　brothers；　who　were　your　companions；　came

to　be　butchered　like　beasts　in　Zululand；　while　you　escaped。　　Now；　no

more　words；　by　and　by　doubtless　there　will　be　plenty　of　them。　　Here　you；

Carolus　and　Johannes；　keep　watch　upon　this　Englishman；　of　whom　I　hear

strange　stories；　with　your　guns　loaded；　please；　and　when　we　send　to　you；

lead　him　before　us。〃



〃As　usual；　your　cousin　Hernan　brings　evil　gifts；〃　I　said　to　Marie

bitterly。　　〃Well；　let　us　also　eat　our　dinner；　which　perhaps　the　Heeren

Carolus　and　Johannes　will　do　us　the　honour　to　sharebringing　their

loaded　guns　with　them。〃



Carolus　and　Johannes　accepted　the　invitation；　and　from　them　we　heard

much　news；　all　of　it　terrible　enough　to　learn；　especially　the　details　of

the　massacre　in　that　district；　which；　because　of　this　fearful　event　is

now　and　always　will　be　known　as　Weenen；　or　The　Place　of　Weeping。　

Suffice　it　to　say　that　they　were　quite　enough　to　take　away　all　our

appetite；　although　Carolus　and　Johannes；　who　by　this　time　had　recovered

somewhat　from　the　shock　of　that　night　of　blood　and　terror；　ate　in　a

fashion　which　might　have　filled　Hans　himself　with　envy。



Shortly　after　we　had　finished　our　meal；　Hans；　who；　by　the　way；　seemed　to

have　quite　recovered　from　his　fatigues；　came　to　remove　the　dishes。　　He

informed　us　that　all　the　Boers　were　having　a　great　〃talk；〃　and　that　they

were　about　to　send　for　me。　　Sure　enough；　a　few　minutes　later　two　armed

men　arrived　and　ordered　me　to　follow　them。　　I　turned　to　say　some　words

of　farewell　to　Marie；　but　she　said：



〃I　go　where　you　do；　husband；〃　and；　as　no　objection　was　made　by　the

guard；　she　came。



About　two　hundred　yards　away；　sitting　under　the　shade　of　one　of　the

wagons；　we　found　the　Boers。　　Six　of　them　were　seated　in　a　semicircle

upon　stools　or　whatever　they　could　find；　the　black…browed　commandant

being　in　the　centre　and　having　in　front　of　him　a　rough　table　on　which

were　writing　materials。



To　the　left　of　these　six　were　the　Prinsloos　and　Meyers；　being　those　folk

whom　I　had　rescued　from　Delagoa；　and　to　the　right　the　other　Boers　who

had　ridden　into　the　camp　that　morning。　　I　saw　at　a　glance　that　a

court…martial　had　been　arranged　and　that　the　six　elders　were　the　judges；

the　commandant　being　the　president　of　the　court。



I　do　not　give　their　names　purposely；　since　I　have　no　wish　that　the

actual　perpetrators　of　the　terrible　blunder　that　I　am　about　to　describe

should　be　known　to　posterity。　　After　all；　they　acted　honestly　according

to　their　lights；　and　were　but　tools　in　the　hand　of　that　villain　Hernan

Pereira。



〃Allan　Quatermain；〃　said　the　commandant；　〃you　are　brought　here　to　be

tried　by　a　court…martial　duly　constituted　according　to　the　law　published

in　the　camps　of　the　emigrant　Boers。　　Do　you　acknowledge　that　law？〃



〃I　know　that　there　is　such　a　law；　commandant；〃　I　answered；　〃but　I　do　not

acknowledge　the　authority　of　your　court…martial　to　try　a　man　who　is　no

Boer；　but　a　subject　of　the　Queen　of　Great　Britain。〃



〃We　have　considered　that　point；　Allan　Quatermain；〃　said　the　commandant；

〃and　we　disallow　it。　　You　will　remember　that　in　the　camp　at　Bushman's

River；　before　you　rode　with　the　late　Pieter　Retief　to　the　chief

Sikonyela；　when　you　were　given　command　of　the　Zulus　who　went　with　him；

you　took　an　oath　to　interpret　truly　and　to　be　faithful　in　all　things　to

the　General　Retief；　to　his　companions　and　to　his　cause。　　That　oath　we

hold　gives　this　court　jurisdiction　over　you。〃



〃I　deny　your　jurisdiction；〃　I　answered；　〃although　it　is　true　that　I　took

an　oath　to　interpret　faithfully；　and　I　request　that　a　note　of　my　denial

may　be　made　in　writing。〃



〃It　shall　be　done；〃　said　the　commandant；　and　laboriously　he　made　the

note　on　the　paper　before　him。



When　he　had　finished　he　looked　up　and　said：　〃The　charge　against　you；

Allan　Quatermain；　is　that；　being　one　of　the　commission　who　recently

visited　the　Zulu　king　Dingaan；　under　command　of　the　late　Governor　and

General　Pieter　Retief；　you　did　falsely　and　wickedly　urge　the　said

Dingaan　to　murder　the　said　Pieter　Retief　and　his　companions；　and

especially　Henri　Marais；　your　father…in…law；　and　Hernando　Pereira；　his

nephew；　with　both　of　whom　you　had　a　quarrel。　　Further；　that　afterwards

you　brought　about　the　said　murder；　having　first　arranged　with　the　king

of　the　Zulus　that　you　should　be　removed　to　a　place　of　safety　while　it

was　done。　　Do　you　plead　Guilty　or　Not　guilty？〃



Now　when　I　heard　this　false　and　abominable　charge　my　rage　and

indignation　caused　me　to　laugh　aloud。



〃Are　you　mad；　commandant；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃that　you　should　say　such

things？　　On　what　evidence　is　this　wicked　lie　advanced　against　me？〃



〃No；　Allan　Quatermain；　I　am　not　mad；〃　he　replied；　〃although　it　is　true

that　through　your　evil　doings　I；　who　have　lost　my　wife　and　three

children　by　the　Zulu　spears；　have　suffered　enough　to　make　me　mad。　　As

for　the　evidence　against　you；　you　shall　hear　it。　　But　first　I　will　write

down　that　you　plead　Not　guilty。〃



He　did　so；　then　said：



〃If　you　will　acknowledge　certain　things　it　will　save　us　all　much　time；

of　which　at　present　we　have　little　to　spare。　　Those　things　are　that

knowing　what　was　going　to　happen　to　the　commission；　you　tried　to　avoid

accompanying　it。　　Is　that　true？〃



〃No；〃　I　answered。　　〃I　knew　nothing　of　what　was　going　to　happen　to　the

commission；　though　I　feared　something；　having　but　just　saved　my　friends

there〃and　I　pointed　to　the　Prinsloos〃from　death　at　the　hands　of

Dingaan。　　I　did　not　wish　to　accompany　it　for　another　reason：　that　I　had

been　married　on　the　day　of　its　starting　to　Marie　Marais。　　Still；　I　went

after　all　because　the　General　Retief；　who　was　my　friend；　asked　me　to

come；　to　interpret　for　him。〃



Now　some　of　the　Boers　present　said：



〃That　is　true。　　We　remember。〃



But　the　commandant　continued；　taking　no　heed　of　my　answer　or　these

interruptions。



〃Do　you　acknowledge　that　you　were　on　bad　terms　with　Henri　Marais　and

with　Hernan　Pereira？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃because　Henri　Marais　did　all　in　his　power　to　prevent

my　marriage　with　his　daughter　Marie；　behaving　very　ill　to　me　who　had

saved　his　life　and　that　of　his　people　who　remained　to　him　up　by　Delagoa；

and　afterwards　at　Umgungundhlovu。　　Because；　too；　Hernan　Pereira　strove

to　rob　me　of　Marie；　who　loved　me。　　Moreover；　although　I　had　saved　him

when　he　lay　sick　to　death；　he　afterwards　tried　to　murder　me　by　shooting

me　down　in　a　lonely　place。　　Here　is　the　mark　of　it；〃　and　I　touched　the

little　scar　upon　the　side　of　my　forehead。



〃That　is　true；　he　did　so；　the　stinkcat；〃　shouted　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　and

was　ordered　to　be