marie-第9节

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for　the　spear　was　broken　in　the　Kaffir；　and　awaited　the　end。　　Looking

back　once　more　I　saw　that　Marie　had　either　failed　to　get　through　the

window　or　abandoned　the　attempt。　　At　any　rate　she　was　standing　near　the

chest　supporting　herself　by　her　right　hand。　　In　my　despair　I　seized　the

blade　end　of　the　broken　assegai　and　dragged　it　from　the　body　of　the

Kaffir；　thinking　that　it　would　serve　to　kill　her；　then　turned　to　do　the

deed。



But　even　as　I　turned　I　heard　a　voice　that　I　knew　well　shout：　〃Do　you

live；　Marie？〃　and　in　the　doorway　appeared　no　savage；　but　Henri　Marais。



Slowly　I　backed　before　him；　for　I　could　not　speak；　and　the　last　dreadful

effort　of　my　will　seemed　to　thrust　me　towards　Marie。　　I　reached　her　and

threw　my　hand　that　still　held　the　gory　blade　round　her　neck。　　Then　as

darkness　came　over　me　I　heard　her　cry：



〃Don't　shoot；　father。　　It　is　Allan；　Allan　who　has　saved　my　life！〃



After　that　I　remember　no　more。　　Nor　did　she　for　a　while；　for　we　both

fell　to　the　ground　senseless。





When　my　senses　returned　to　me　I　found　myself　lying　on　the　floor　of　the

wagon…house　in　the　back　yard。　　Glancing　from　my　half…opened　eyes；　for　I

was　still　speechless；　I　saw　Marie；　white　as　a　sheet；　her　hair　all

falling　about　her　dishevelled　dress。　　She　was　seated　on　one　of　those

boxes　that　we　put　on　the　front　of　wagons　to　drive　from；　〃voorkissies〃

they　are　called；　and　as　her　eyes　were　watching　me　I　knew　that　she　lived。

　By　her　stood　a　tall　and　dark　young　man　whom　I　had　never　seen　before。　

He　was　holding　her　hand　and　looking　at　her　anxiously；　and　even　then　I

felt　angry　with　him。　　Also　I　saw　other　things；　for　instance；　my　old

father　leaning　down　and　looking　at　_me_　anxiously；　and　outside　in　the

yard；　for　there　were　no　doors　to　the　wagon…house；　a　number　of　men　with

guns　in　their　hands；　some　of　whom　I　knew　and　others　who　were　strangers。　

In　the　shadow；　too；　against　the　wall；　stood　my　blood　mare　with　her　head

hanging　down　and　trembling　all　over。　　Not　far　from　her　the　roan　lay　upon

the　ground；　its　flank　quite　red。



I　tried　to　rise　and　could　not；　then　feeling　pain　in　my　left　thigh；

looked　and　saw　that　it　was　red　also。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　an　assegai　had

gone　half　through　it　and　hit　upon　the　bone。　　Although　I　never　felt　it　at

the　time；　this　wound　was　dealt　to　me　by　that　great　Quabie　whom　Hans　and

I　had　received　upon　our　spears；　doubtless　as　he　fell。　　Hans；　by　the　way；

was　there　also；　an　awful　and　yet　a　ludicrous　spectacle；　for　the　Quabie

had　fallen　right　on　the　top　of　him　and　lain　so　with　results　that　may；　be

imagined。　　There　he　sat　upon　the　ground；　looking　upwards；　gasping　with

his　fish…like　mouth。　　Each　gasp；　I　remember；　fashioned　itself　into　the

word　〃Allemachte！〃　that　is　〃Almighty；〃　a　favourite　Dutch　expression。



Marie　was　the　first　to　perceive　that　I　had　come　to　life　again。　　Shaking

herself　free　from　the　clasp　of　the　young　man；　she　staggered　towards　me

and　fell　upon　her　knees　at　my　side；　muttering　words　that　I　could　not

catch；　for　they　choked　in　her　throat。　　Then　Hans　took　in　the　situation；

and　wriggling　his　unpleasant　self　to　my　other　side；　lifted　my　hand　and

kissed　it。　　Next　my　father　spoke；　saying：



〃Praise　be　to　God；　he　lives！　　Allan；　my　son；　I　am　proud　of　you；　you　have

done　your　duty　as　an　Englishman　should。〃



〃Had　to　save　my　own　skin　if　I　could；　thank　you；　father；〃　I　muttered。



〃Why　as　an　Englishman　more　than　any　other　sort　of　man；　Mynheer

Predicant？〃　asked　the　tall　stranger；　speaking　in　Dutch；　although　he

evidently　understood　our　language。



〃The　point　is　one　that　I　will　not　argue　now；　sir；〃　answered　my　father；

drawing　himself　up。　　〃But　if　what　I　hear　is　true；　there　was　a　Frenchman

in　that　house　who　did　not　do　his　duty；　and　if　you　belong　to　the　same

nation；　I　apologise　to　you。〃



〃Thank　you；　sir；　as　it　happens；　I　do；　half。　　The　rest　of　me　is

Portuguese；　not　English；　thank　God。〃



〃God　is　thanked　for　many　things　that　must　surprise　Him；〃　replied　my

father　in　a　suave　voice。



At　that　moment　this　rather　disagreeable　conversation；　which　even　then

both　angered　and　amused　me　faintly；　came　to　an　end；　for　the　Heer　Marais

entered　the　place。



As　might　have　been　expected　in　so　excitable　a　man；　he　was　in　a　terrible

state　of　agitation。　　Thankfulness　at　the　escape　of　his　only；　beloved

child；　rage　with　the　Kaffirs　who　had　tried　to　kill　her；　and　extreme

distress　at　the　loss　of　most　of　his　propertyall　these　conflicting

emotions　boiled　together　in　his　breast　like　antagonistic　elements　in　a

crucible。



The　resulting　fumes　were　parti…coloured　and　overpowering。　　He　rushed　up

to　me；　blessed　and　thanked　me　（for　he　had　learnt　something　of　the　story

of　the　defence）；　called　me　a　young　hero　and　so　forth；　hoping　that　God

would　reward　me。　　Here　I　may　remark　that　_he_　never　did；　poor　man。　　Then

he　began　to　rave　at　Leblanc；　who　had　brought　all　this　dreadful　disaster

upon　his　house；　saying　that　it　was　a　judgement　on　himself　for　having

sheltered　an　atheist　and　a　drunkard　for　so　many　years；　just　because　he

was　French　and　a　man　of　intellect。　　Someone；　my　father　as　a　matter　of

fact；　who　with　all　his　prejudices　possessed　a　great　sense　of　justice；

reminded　him　that　the　poor　Frenchman　had　expiated；　or　perchance　was　now

expiating　any　crimes　that　he　might　have　committed。



This　turned　the　stream　of　his　invective　on　to　the　Quabie　Kaffirs；　who

had　burned　part　of　his　house　and　stolen　nearly　all　his　stock；　making　him

from　a　rich　man　into　a　poor　one　in　a　single　hour。　　He　shouted　for

vengeance　on　the　〃black　devils；〃　and　called　on　all　there　to　help　him　to

recover　his　beasts　and　kill　the　thieves。　　Most　of　those　presentthey

were　about　thirty　in　all；　not　counting　the　Kaffir　and　Hottentot

after…ridersanswered　that　they　were　willing　to　attack　the　Quabies。　

Being　residents　in　the　district；　they　felt；　and；　indeed；　said；　that　his

case　to…day　might　and　probably　would　be　their　case　to…morrow。　　Therefore

they　were　prepared　to　ride　at　once。



Then　it　was　that　my　father　intervened。



〃Heeren；〃　he　said；　〃it　seems　to　me　that　before　you　seek　vengeance；

which；　as　the　Book　tells　us；　is　the　Lord's；　it　would　be　well；　especially

for　the　Heer　Marais；　to　return　thanks　for　what　has　been　saved　to　him。　　I

mean　his　daughter；　who　might　now　very　easily　have　been　dead　or　worse。〃



He　added　that　goods　came　or　went　according　to　the　chances　of　fortune；

but　a　beloved　human　life；　once　lost；　could　not　be　restored。　　This

precious　life　had　been　preserved　to　him；　he　would　not　say　by　manhere

he　glanced　at　mebut　by　the　Ruler　of　the　world　acting　through　man。　

Perhaps　those　present　did　not　quite　understand　what　he　（my　father）　had

learned　from　Hans　the　Hottentot；　that　I；　his　son；　had　been　about　to　blow

out　the　brains　of　Marie　Marais　and　my　own　when　the　sound　of　the　shots　of

those　who　had　been　gathered　through　the　warning　which　I　left　before　I

rode　from　the　Mission　Station；　had　stayed　my　hand。　　He　called　upon　the

said　Hans　and　Marie　herself　to　tell　them　the　story；　since　I　was　too　weak

to　do　so。



Thus　adjured；　the　little　Hottentot；　smothered　as　he　was　in　blood；　stood

up。　　In　the　simple；　dramatic　style　characteristic　of　his　race；　he

narrated　all　that　had　happened　since　he　met　the　woman　on　the　veld　but

little　over　twelve　hours　before；　till　the　arrival　of　the　rescue　party。　

Never　have　I　seen　a　tale　followed　with　deeper　interest；　and　when　at　last

Hans　pointed　to　me　lying　on　the　ground　and　said；　〃There　is　he　who　did

these　things　which　it　might　be　thought　no　man　could　dohe；　but　a　boy；〃

even　from　those　phlegmatic　Dutchmen　there　came　a　general　cheer。　　But；

lifting　myself　upon　my　hands；　I　called　out：



〃Whatever　I　did；　this　poor　Hottentot　did　also；　and　had　it　not　been　for

him　I　could　not　have　done　anythingfor　him　and　the　two　good　horses。〃



Then　they　cheered　again；　and　Marie；　rising；　said：



〃Yes；　father；　to　these　two　I　owe　my　life。〃



After　this；　my　father　offered　his　prayer　of　thanksgiving　in　very　bad

Dutchfor；　having　begun　to　learn　it　late　in　life；　he　never　could　really

master　that　languageand　the　stalwart　Boers；　kneeling　round　him；　said

〃Amen。〃　　As　the　reader　may　imagine；　the　scene；　with　all　its　details；

which　I　will　not　repeat；　was　both　remarkable　and　impressive。



What　followed　this　prayer　I　do　not　very　well　remember；　for　I　became

faint　from　exhaustion　and　the　loss　of　blood。　　I　believe；　however；　that

the　fire　having　been　extinguished；　they　removed　the　dead　and　wounded

from　the　unburnt　portion　of　the　house　and　carried　me　into　the　little

room　where　Marie　and　I　had　gone　through　that　dreadful　scene　when　I　went

within　an　ace　of　killing　her。　　After　this　the　Boers　and　Marais's

Kaffirs；　or　rather　slaves；　whom　he　had　collected　from　where　they　lived

away　from　the　house；　to　the　number　of　thirty　or　forty；　started　to　follow

the　defeated　Quabie；　leaving　about　ten　of　their　number　as　a　guard。　　Here

I　may　mention　that　of　the　seven　or　eight　men　who　slept　in　the

outbuildings　and　had　fought　with　us；　two　were　kill