benita-第19节

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the　ground；　clutched　at　her　dress　and　prayed　for　mercy。



〃Move　a　little；　Miss　Clifford；〃　said　Meyer。　〃Three　of　those　brutes

will　not　weigh　heavier　than　one　upon　my　conscience。〃



〃No；　no；　you　shall　not；〃　she　answered。　〃Mambo；　these　men　are

messengers；　spare　them。〃



〃Hearken　to　the　voice　of　pity；〃　said　the　old　prophet；　〃spoken　in　a

place　where　pity　never　was；　and　not　in　vain。　Let　them　go。　Give　mercy

to　the　merciless；　for　she　buys　their　lives　with　a　prayer。〃



〃They　will　bring　the　others　on　us；〃　muttered　Tamas；　and　even　old　Mr。

Clifford　shook　his　head　sadly。　But　the　Molimo　only　said：



〃I　have　spoken。　Let　them　go。　That　which　will　befall　must　befall；　and

from　this　deed　no　ill　shall　come　that　would　not　have　come　otherwise。〃



〃You　hear？　Depart　swiftly；〃　said　Benita；　in　Zulu。



With　difficulty　the　two　men　dragged　themselves　to　their　feet；　and

supporting　each　other；　stood　before　her。　One　of　them；　a　clever；

powerful…faced　man；　whose　black　hair　was　tinged　with　grey；　addressing

himself　to　Benita；　gasped：



〃Hear　me。　That　fool　there；〃　and　he　pointed　to　his　dead　companion；

〃whose　boasting　brought　his　death　upon　him；　was　but　a　low　fellow。　I；

who　kept　silence　and　let　him　talk；　am　Maduna；　a　prince　of　the　royal

house　who　justly　deserve　to　die　because　I　turned　my　back　upon　these

dogs。　Yet　I　and　my　brother　here　take　life　at　your　hands；　Lady；　who；

now　that　I　have　had　time　to　think；　would　refuse　it　at　theirs。　For；

whether　I　stay　or　go　does　not　matter。　The　impi　waits；　the　slayers　are

beneath　the　walls。　Those　things　which　are　decreed　will　happen；　there；

yonder　old　Wizard　speaks　true。　Listen；　Lady：　should　it　chance　that　you

have　cause　to　demand　two　lives　at　the　hands　of　Maduna；　in　his　own　name

and　the　name　of　his　king　he　promises　them　to　you。　In　safety　shall　they

pass；　they　and　all　that　is　theirs；　without　toll　taken。　Remember　the

oath　of　Maduna；　Lady；　in　the　hour　of　your　need；　and　do　you；　my

brother；　bear　witness　to　it　among　our　people。〃



Then；　straightening　themselves　as　well　as　they　were　able；　these　two

sorely　hurt　men　lifted　their　right　arms　and　gave　Benita　the　salute　due

to　a　chieftainess。　This　done；　taking　no　note　of　any　other　creature

there；　they　limped　away　to　the　gate　that　had　been　opened　for　them；　and

vanished　beyond　the　wall。



All　this　while　Meyer　had　stood　silent；　now　he　spoke　with　a　bitter

smile。



〃Charity；　Miss　Clifford；　said　a　certain　Paul；　as　reported　in　your　New

Testament；　covers　a　multitude　of　sins。　I　hope　very　much　that　it　will

serve　to　cover　our　remains　from　the　aasvogels；　after　we　have　met　our

deaths　in　some　such　fashion　as　that　brute　promised　us；〃　and　he　pointed

to　the　dead　man。



Benita　looked　at　her　father　in　question。



〃Mr。　Meyer　means；　my　dear；　that　you　have　done　a　foolish　thing　in

begging　the　lives　of　those　Matabele。　It　would　have　been　safer　for　us

if　they　were　dead；　who；　as　it　is；　have　gone　off　burning　for　revenge。

Of　course；　I　understand　it　was　natural　enough；　but〃　and　he

hesitated　and　stopped。



〃The　chief　did　not　say　so；〃　broke　in　Benita　with　agitation；　〃besides；

if　he　had；　I　should　not　have　cared。　It　was　bad　enough　to　see　one　man

killed　like　that；〃　and　she　shivered；　〃I　could　not　bear　any　more。〃



〃You　should　not　be　angry　at　the　fellow's　death；　seeing　that　it　was

what　he　said　of　you　which　brought　it　upon　him；〃　Meyer　replied　with

meaning。　〃Otherwise　he　might　have　gone　unharmed　as　far　as　I　was

concerned。　For　the　rest；　I　did　not　interfere　because　I　saw　it　was

useless；　also　I　am　a　fatalist　like　our　friend；　the　Molimo；　and　believe

in　what　is　decreed。　The　truth　is；〃　he　added　sharply；　〃among　savages

ladies　are　not　in　place。〃



〃Why　did　you　not　say　that　down　at　Rooi　Krantz；　Jacob？〃　asked　Mr。

Clifford。　〃You　know　I　thought　so　all　the　while；　but　somehow　I　was

over…ruled。　Now　what　I　suggest　is；　that　we　had　better　get　out　of　this

place　as　fast　as　we　caninstantly；　as　soon　as　we　have　eaten；　before

our　retreat　is　cut　off。〃



Meyer　looked　at　the　oxen　which　had　been　outspanned：　nine　were

wandering　about　picking　up　what　food　they　could；　but　the　five　which

were　supposed　to　have　been　bitten　by　tetsefly　had　lain　down。



〃Nine　worn…out　and　footsore　oxen　will　not　draw　the　waggon；〃　he　said；

〃also　in　all　probability　the　place　is　already　surrounded　by　Matabele；

who　merely　let　us　in　to　be　sure　of　the　guns　which　their　spies　must

have　told　them　we　were　carrying。　Lastly；　having　spent　so　much　and　come

so　far；　I　do　not　mean　to　go　without　what　we　seek。　Still；　if　you　think

that　your　daughter's　danger　is　greater　within　these　walls　than　outside

of　them；　you　might　try；　if　we　can　hire　servants；　which　I　doubt。　Or

possibly；　if　any　rowers　are　to　be　had；　you　could　go　down　the　Zambesi

in　a　canoe；　risking　the　fever。　You　and　she　must　settle　it；　Clifford。〃



〃Difficulties　and　dangers　every　way　one　looks。　Benita；　what　do　you

say？〃　asked　her　father　distractedly。



Benita　thought　a　moment。　She　wished　to　escape　from　Mr。　Meyer；　of　whom

she　was　weary　and　afraid；　and　would　have　endured　much　to　do　so。　On　the

other　hand；　her　father　was　tired　out；　and　needed　rest；　also　to　turn

his　back　upon　this　venture　now　would　have　been　a　bitter　blow　to　him。

Moreover；　lacking　cattle　and　men；　how　was　it　to　be　done？　Lastly；

something　within　her；　that　same　voice　which　had　bidden　her　to　come；

seemed　to　bid　her　to　stay。　Very　soon　she　had　made　up　her　mind。



〃Father；　dear；〃　she　said；　〃thank　you　for　thinking　of　me；　but　as　far　as

I　can　see；　we　should　run　more　risks　trying　to　get　away　than　we　do　in

stopping　here。　I　wanted　to　come；　though　you　warned　me　against　it；　and

now　I　must　take　my　chance　and　trust　to　God　to　bring　us　safe　through

all　dangers。　Surely　with　all　those　rifles　the　Makalanga　ought　to　be

able　to　hold　such　a　place　as　this　against　the　Matabele。〃



〃I　hope　so；〃　answered　her　father；　〃but　they　are　a　timid　folk。　Still；

though　it　would　have　been　far　better　never　to　have　come；　I　think　with

you　that　it　is　best　to　stay　where　we　are；　and　trust　to　God。〃







X



THE　MOUNTAIN　TOP



If　our　adventurers；　or　any　of　them；　hoped　that　they　were　going　to　be

led　to　the　secret　places　of　the　fortress　that　day；　they　were　destined

to　disappointment。　Indeed；　the　remainder　of　it　was　employed　arduously

enough　in　unpacking　rifles；　and　a　supply　of　ammunition；　also　in　giving

to　a　few　of　the　leading　Makalanga　preliminary　lessons　in　the　method　of

their　use；　a　matter　as　to　which　their　ideas　were　of　the　vaguest。　The

rest　of　the　tribe；　having　brought　their　women　and　children　into　the

outer　enclosure　of　the　ancient　stronghold；　and　with　them　their　sheep

and　goats　and　the　few　cattle　which　remained　to　them；　were　employed　in

building　up　the　entrance　permanently　with　stones；　a　zigzag　secret　path

upon　the　river　side；　that　could　be　stopped　in　a　few　minutes；　being　now

their　only　method　of　ingress　and　egress　through　the　thickness　of　the

walls。　A　certain　number　of　men　were　also　sent　out　as　spies　to

discover；　if　possible；　the　whereabouts　of　the　Matabele　impi。



That　there　was　some　impi　they　were　almost　sure；　for　a　woman　who　had

followed　them　reported　that　the　injured　captain；　Maduna；　and　his

companion　had　been　met　at　a　distance　of　about　three　miles　from

Bambatse　by　a　small　party　of　Matabele；　who　were　hiding　in　some　bushes；

and　that　these　men　had　made　litters　for　them；　and　carried　them　away；

whither　she　did　not　know；　for　she　had　not　dared　to　pursue　them

further。



That　night　Benita　passed　in　the　guesthouse；　which　was　only　a　hut

rather　larger　than　the　others；　while　the　two　men　slept　in　the　waggon

just　outside。　She　was　so　tired　that　for　a　long　while　she　could　not

rest。　Her　mind　kept　flying　back　to　all　the　events　of　the　day：　the

strange　words　of　that　mystic　old　Molimo；　concerning　herself；　the

arrival　of　the　brutal　messengers　and　the　indaba　that　followed；　then

the　sudden　and　awful　destruction　of　their　spokesman　at　the　hand　of

Jacob　Meyer。　The　scene　would　not　leave　her　eyes；　she　saw　it　again　and

yet　again：　the　quick　transformation　of　Meyer's　indifferent　face　when

the　soldier　began　to　insult　and　threaten　her；　the　lightning…like

movement　of　his　hand；　the　flash；　the　report；　the　change　from　life　to

death；　and　the　slayer's　cruel　laugh。　He　could　be　very　terrible；　Jacob

Meyer；　when　his　passions　were　roused！



And　what　had　roused　them　then？　She　could　not　doubt　that　it　was　herself

not　mere　chivalry　towards　a　woman。　Even　if　he　were　capable　of

chivalry；　merely　for　that　he　would　never　have　taken　such　risk　of

future　trouble　and　revenge。　No；　it　was　something　deeper。　He　had　never

said　anything　or　done　anything；　yet　long　ago　instinct　or　insight　had

caused　Benita　to　suspect　the　workings　of　his　mind；　and　now　she　was

sure　of　them。　The　thought　was　terribleworse　than　all　her　other

dangers　put　together。　True；　she　had　her　father　to　rely　on；　but　he　had

been　somewhat　ailing　of　late；　age　and　these　arduous　journeys　and

anxieties　had　told　upon　him。　Supposing　that　anything　were　to　happen　to

himif　he