benita-第9节

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the　Kaffir　had　gone。　I　remember　him　well　now。　He　was　a　fine　young　man；

and　it　comes　into　my　mind　that　when　I　said　good…bye　to　him　above　those

old　ruins；　I　wished　that　I　had　a　son　like　that。　And　to　think　that　he

went　so　near　to　becoming　a　son　to　me！　Well；　the　grass　must　bend　when

the　wind　blows；　as　the　natives　say。〃



〃I　am　glad　that　you　knew　him；〃　she　answered　simply。



Then　they　began　talking　about　other　matters。　He　told　her　that　all　the

story　had　become　known；　and　that　people　spoke　of　Robert　Seymour　as

〃the　hero〃；　also　that　there　was　a　great　deal　of　curiosity　about　her。



〃Then　let　us　get　away　as　soon　as　we　can；〃　she　said　nervously。　〃But；

Father；　where　are　we　going？〃



〃That　will　be　for　you　to　decide；　love。　Listen；　now；　this　is　my

position。　I　have　been　quite　steady　for　years；　and　worked　hard；　with

the　result　that　I　and　my　partner　have　a　fine　farm　in　the　Transvaal；　on

the　high　land　near　Lake　Chrissie；　out　Wakkerstroom　way。　We　breed

horses　there；　and　have　done　very　well　with　them。　I　have　￡1；500　saved；

and　the　farm　brings　us　in　quite　￡600　a　year　beyond　the　expenses。　But

it　is　a　lonely　place；　with　only　a　few　Boers　about；　although　they　are

good　fellows　enough。　You　might　not　care　to　live　there　with　no

company。〃



〃I　don't　think　that　I　should　mind；〃　she　answered；　smiling。



〃Not　now；　but　by…and…by　you　would　when　you　know　what　it　is　like。　Now　I

might　sell　my　share　in　the　farm　to　my　partner；　who；　I　think；　would　buy

it；　or　I　might　trust　to　him　to　send　me　a　part　of　the　profits；　which

perhaps　he　would　not。　Then；　if　you　wish　it；　we　could　live　in　or　near

one　of　the　towns；　or　even；　as　you　have　an　income　of　your　own；　go　home

to　England；　if　that　is　your　will。〃



〃Is　it　your　will？〃　she　asked。



He　shook　his　head。　〃No；　all　my　life　is　here。　Also；　I　have　something　to

find　before　I　diefor　your　sake；　dear。〃



〃Do　you　mean　up　among　those　ruins？〃　she　asked；　looking　at　him

curiously。



〃Yes。　So　you　know　about　it？〃　he　answered；　with　a　flash　of　his　blue

eyes。　〃Oh！　of　course；　Seymour　told　you。　Yes；　I　mean　among　the　ruins

but　I　will　tell　you　that　story　another　timenot　here；　not　here。　What

do　you　wish　to　do；　Benita？　Remember；　I　am　in　your　hands；　I　will　obey

you　in　all　things。〃



〃Not　to　stop　in　a　town　and　not　to　go　to　England；〃　she　replied；　while

he　hung　eagerly　upon　her　words；　〃for　this　has　become　my　holy　land。

Father；　I　will　go　with　you　to　your　farm；　there　I　can　be　quiet；　you　and

I　together。〃



〃Yes；〃　he　answered　rather　uneasily；　〃but；　you　see；　Benita；　we　shall

not　be　quite　alone　there。　My　partner；　Jacob　Meyer；　lives　with　me。〃



〃Jacob　Meyer？　Ah！　I　remember；〃　and　she　winced。　〃He　is　a　German；　is　he

notand　odd？〃



〃German　Jew；　I　imagine；　and　very　odd。　Should　have　made　his　fortune　a

dozen　times　over；　and　yet　has　never　done　anything。　Too　unpractical；

too　visionary；　with　all　his　brains　and　scheming。　Not　a　good　man；

Benita；　although　he　suits　me；　and；　for　the　matter　of　that；　under　our

agreement　I　cannot　get　rid　of　him。〃



〃How　did　he　become　your　partner？〃　she　asked。



〃Oh！　a　good　many　years　ago　he　turned　up　at　the　place　with　a　doleful

story。　Said　that　he　had　been　trading　among　the　Zulus；　he　was　what　we

call　a　'smouse'　out　here；　and　got　into　a　row　with　them；　I　don't　know

how。　The　end　of　it　was　that　they　burned　his　waggon；　looted　his　trade…

goods　and　oxen；　and　killed　his　servants。　They　would　have　killed　him

too；　only；　according　to　his　own　account；　he　escaped　in　a　very　queer

fashion。〃



〃How？〃



〃Well；　he　says　by　mesmerising　the　chief　and　making　the　man　lead　him

through　his　followers。　An　odd　story　enough；　but　I　can　quite　believe　it

of　Jacob。　He　worked　for　me　for　six　months；　and　showed　himself　very

clever。　Then　one　night；　I　remember　it　was　a　few　days　after　I　had　told

him　of　the　story　of　the　Portuguese　treasure　in　Matabeleland；　he

produced　￡500　in　Bank　of　England　notes　out　of　the　lining　of　his

waistcoat；　and　offered　to　buy　a　half　interest　in　the　farm。　Yes；　￡500！

Although　for　all　those　months　I　had　believed　him　to　be　a　beggar。　Well；

as　he　was　so　/slim/；　and　better　than　no　company　in　that　lonely　place；

in　the　end　I　accepted。　We　have　done　well　since；　except　for　the

expedition　after　the　treasure　which　we　did　not　get；　although　we　more

than　paid　our　expenses　out　of　the　ivory　we　bought。　But　next　time　we

shall　succeed；　I　am　sure；〃　he　added　with　enthusiasm；　〃that　is；　if　we

can　persuade　those　Makalanga　to　let　us　search　on　the　mountain。〃



Benita　smiled。



〃I　think　you　had　better　stick　to　the　horsebreeding；〃　she　said。



〃You　shall　judge　when　you　hear　the　story。　But　you　have　been　brought　up

in　England；　will　you　not　be　afraid　to　go　to　Lake　Chrissie？〃



〃Afraid　of　what？〃　she　asked。



〃Oh！　of　the　loneliness；　and　of　Jacob　Meyer。〃



〃I　was　born　on　the　veld；　Father；　and　I　have　always　hated　London。　As

for　your　odd　friend；　Mr。　Meyer；　I　am　not　afraid　of　any　man　on　earth。　I

have　done　with　men。　At　the　least　I　will　try　the　place　and　see　how　I

get　on。〃



〃Very　well；〃　answered　her　father　with　a　sigh　of　relief。　〃You　can

always　come　back；　can't　you？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　said　indifferently。　〃I　suppose　that　I　can　always　come

back。〃







V



JACOB　MEYER



More　than　three　weeks　had　gone　by　when　one　morning　Benita；　who　slept

upon　the　cartel　or　hide…strung　bed　in　the　waggon；　having　dressed

herself　as　best　she　could　in　that　confined　place；　thrust　aside　the

curtain　and　seated　herself　upon　the　voorkisse；　or　driving…box。　The　sun

was　not　yet　up；　and　the　air　was　cold　with　frost；　for　they　were　on　the

Transvaal　high…veld　at　the　end　of　winter。　Even　through　her　thick　cloak

Benita　shivered　and　called　to　the　driver　of　the　waggon；　who　also　acted

as　cook；　and　whose　blanket…draped　form　she　could　see　bending　over　a

fire　into　which　he　was　blowing　life；　to　make　haste　with　the　coffee。



〃By　and　by；　Missieby　and　by；〃　he　answered；　coughing　the　rank　smoke

from　his　lungs。　〃Kettle　no　sing　yet；　and　fire　black　as　hell。〃



Benita　reflected　that　popular　report　painted　this　locality　red；　but

without　entering　into　argument　sat　still　upon　the　chest　waiting　till

the　water　boiled　and　her　father　appeared。



Presently　he　emerged　from　under　the　side　flap　of　the　waggon　where　he

slept；　and　remarking　that　it　was　really　too　cold　to　think　of　washing；

climbed　to　her　side　by　help　of　the　disselboom；　and　kissed　her。



〃How　far　are　we　now　from　Rooi　Krantz；　Father？〃　she　asked；　for　that　was

the　name　of　Mr。　Clifford's　farm。



〃About　forty　miles；　dear。　The　waggon　cannot　make　it　to…night　with

these　two　sick　oxen；　but　after　the　midday　outspan　we　will　ride　on；　and

be　there　by　sundown。　I　am　afraid　you　are　tired　of　this　trekking。〃



〃No；〃　she　answered。　〃I　like　it　very　much；　it　is　so　restful；　and　I

sleep　sound　upon　that　cartel。　I　feel　as　though　I　should　like　to　trek

on　for　the　rest　of　my　life。〃



〃So　you　shall　if　you　wish；　dear；　for　whole　months。　South　Africa　is

big；　and　when　the　grass　grows；　if　you　still　wish　it；　we　will　take　a

long　journey。〃



She　smiled；　but　made　no　answer；　knowing　that　he　was　thinking　of　the

place　so　far　away　where　he　believed　that　once　the　Portuguese　had

buried　gold。



The　kettle　was　singing　now　merrily　enough；　and　Hans；　the　cook；　lifting

it　from　the　fire　in　triumphfor　his　blowing　exertions　had　been

severepoured　into　it　a　quantity　of　ground　coffee　from　an　old　mustard

tin。　Then；　having　stirred　the　mixture　with　a　stick；　he　took　a　red

ember　from　the　fire　and　dropped　it　into　the　kettle；　a　process　which；

as　travellers　in　the　veld　know　well；　has　a　clearing　effect　upon　the

coffee。　Next　he　produced　pannikins；　and　handed　them　up　with　a　pickle

jar　full　of　sugar　to　Mr。　Clifford；　upon　the　waggon　chest。　Milk　they

had　none；　yet　that　coffee　tasted　a　great　deal　better　than　it　looked；

indeed；　Benita　drank　two　cups　of　it　to　warm　herself　and　wash　down　the

hard　biscuit。　Before　the　day　was　over　glad　enough　was　she　that　she　had

done　so。



The　sun　was　rising；　huge　and　red　it　looked　seen　through　the　clinging

mist；　and；　their　breakfast　finished；　Mr。　Clifford　gave　orders　that　the

oxen；　which　were　filling　themselves　with　the　dry　grass　near　at　hand；

should　be　got　up　and　inspanned。　The　voorlooper；　a　Zulu　boy；　who　had

left　them　for　a　little　while　to　share　the　rest　of　the　coffee　with

Hans；　rose　from　his　haunches　with　a　grunt；　and　departed　to　fetch　them。

A　minute　or　two　later　Hans　ceased　from　his　occupation　of　packing　up

the　things；　and　said　in　a　low　voice：



〃/Kek！/　Baas〃that　is　〃Look！〃



Following　the　line　of　his　outstretched　hand；　Benita　and　her　father

perceived；　not　more　than　a　hundred　yards　away　from　them；　a　great　troop

of　wilderbeeste；　or　gnu；　travelling　along　a　ridge；　and　pausing　now　and

again　to　indulge　in　those　extraordinary　gambols　which　cause　the　Boers

to　declare　that　these　brutes　have　a　worm　in　their　brains。



〃Give　me　my　rifle；　Hans；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford。　〃We　want　meat。〃



By　the　time　that　the　Westley…Richards　was　drawn　from　its　case　and

lo