benita-第34章

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might　have　recovered　itself　and　followed。　But　no　mare　was　to　be　seen。

Something　else　was　to　be　seen；　however；　for　there；　three　or　four　miles

away　upon　the　plain　behind　them；　easy　to　be　distinguished　in　that

dazzling　air；　were　a　number　of　black　spots　that　occasionally　seemed　to

sparkle。



〃What　are　they？〃　she　asked　faintly；　as　one　who　feared　the　answer。



〃The　Matabele　who　follow　us；〃　answered　her　father；　〃or　rather　a

company　of　their　swiftest　runners。　It　is　their　spears　that　glitter　so。

Now；　my　love；　this　is　the　position；〃　he　went　on；　as　they　struggled

forward：　〃those　men　will　catch　us　before　ever　we　can　get　to　Bambatse；

they　are　trained　to　run　like　that；　for　fifty　miles；　if　need　be。　But

with　this　start　they　cannot　catch　your　horse；　you　must　go　on　and　leave

me　to　look　after　myself。〃



〃Never；　never！〃　she　exclaimed。



〃But　you　shall；　and　you　must。　I　am　your　father　and　I　order　you。　As　for

me；　what　does　it　matter？　I　may　hide　from　them　and　escape；　orat　least

I　am　old；　my　life　is　done；　whereas　yours　is　before　you。　Now；　good…bye；

and　go　on；〃　and　he　let　go　of　the　saddle…strap。



By　way　of　answer　Benita　pulled　up　the　horse。



〃Not　one　yard；〃　she　said；　setting　her　mouth。



Then　he　began　to　storm　at　her；　calling　her　disobedient；　and　undutiful；

and　when　this　means　failed　to　move　her；　to　implore　her　almost　with

tears。



〃Father；　dear；〃　she　said；　leaning　down　towards　him　as　he　walked；　for

now　they　were　going　on　again；　〃I　told　you　why　I　wanted　to　run　away

from　Bambatse；　didn't　I？because　I　would　rather　risk　my　life　than

stay。　Well；　do　you　think　that　I　wish　to　return　there　and　live　in　that

place　alone　with　Jacob　Meyer？　Also；　I　will　tell　you　another　thing。　You

remember　about　Mr。　Seymour？　Well；　I　can't　get　over　that；　I　can't　get

over　it　at　all；　and　therefore；　although　of　course　I　am　afraid；　it　is

all　one　to　me。　No；　we　will　escape　together；　or　die　together；　the　first

if　we　can。〃



Then　with　a　groan　he　gave　up　the　argument；　and　as　he　found　breath　they

discussed　their　chances。　Their　first　idea　was　to　hide；　but　save　for　a

few　trees　all　the　country　was　open；　there　was　no　place　to　cover　them。

They　thought　of　the　banks　of　the　Zambesi；　but　between　them　and　the

river　rose　a　bare；　rock…strewn　hill　with　several　miles　of　slope。　Long

before　they　could　reach　its　crest；　even　if　a　horse　were　able　to　travel

there；　they　must　be　overtaken。　In　short；　there　was　nothing　to　do

except　to　push　for　the　nek；　and　if　they　were　fortunate　enough　to　reach

it　before　the　Matabele；　to　abandon　the　horse　there　and　try　to　conceal

themselves　among　the　ruins　of　the　houses　beyond。　This；　perhaps；　they

might　do　when　once　the　sun　was　down。



But　they　did　not　deceive　themselves；　the　chances　were　at　least　fifty

to　one　against　them；　unless　indeed　their　pursuers　grew　weary　and　let

them　go。



At　present；　however；　they　were　by　no　means　weary；　for　having　perceived

them　from　far　away；　the　long…legged　runners　put　on　the　pace；　and　the

distance　between　them　and　their　quarry　was　lessening。



〃Father；〃　said　Benita；　〃please　understand　one　thing。　I　do　not　mean　to

be　taken　alive　by　those　savages。〃



〃Oh！　how　can　I〃　he　faltered。



〃I　don't　ask　you；〃　she　answered。　〃I　will　see　to　that　myself。　Only；　if

I　should　make　any　mistake〃　and　she　looked　at　him。



The　old　man　was　getting　very　tired。　He　panted　up　the　steep　hillside；

and　stumbled　against　the　stones。　Benita　noted　it；　and　slipping　from

the　horse；　made　him　mount　while　she　ran　alongside。　Then　when　he　was　a

little　rested　they　changed　places　again；　and　so　covered　several　miles

of　country。　Subsequently；　when　both　of　them　were　nearly　exhausted；

they　tried　riding　togethershe　in　front　and　he　behind；　for　their

baggage　had　long　since　been　thrown　away。　But　the　weary　beast　could　not

carry　this　double　burden；　and　after　a　few　hundred　yards　of　it；

stumbled；　fell；　struggled　to　its　feet　again；　and　stopped。



So　once　more　they　were　obliged　to　ride　and　walk　alternately。



Now　there　was　not　much　more　than　an　hour　of　daylight　left；　and　the

narrow　pass　lay　about　three　miles　ahead　of　them。　That　dreadful　three

miles；　ever　thereafter　it　was　Benita's　favourite　nightmare！　At　the

beginning　of　it　the　leading　Matabele　were　about　two　thousand　yards

behind　them；　half…way；　about　a　thousand；　and　at　the　commencement　of

the　last　mile；　say　five　hundred。



Nature　is　a　wonderful　thing；　and　great　are　its　resources　in　extremity。

As　the　actual　crisis　approached；　the　weariness　of　these　two　seemed　to

depart；　or　at　any　rate　it　was　forgotten。　They　no　longer　felt

exhausted；　nor；　had　they　been　fresh　from　their　beds；　could　they　have

climbed　or　run　better。　Even　the　horse　seemed　to　find　new　energy；　and

when　it　lagged　Mr。　Clifford　dug　the　point　of　his　hunting　knife　into

its　flank。　Gasping；　panting；　now　one　mounted　and　now　the　other；　they

struggled　on　towards　that　crest　of　rock；　while　behind　them　came　death

in　the　shape　of　those　sleuth…hounds　of　Matabele。　The　sun　was　going

down；　and　against　its　flaming　ball；　when　they　glanced　back　they　could

see　their　dark　forms　outlined；　the　broad　spears　also　looked　red　as

though　they　had　been　dipped　in　blood。　They　could　even　hear　their

taunting　shouts　as　they　called　to　them　to　sit　down　and　be　killed；　and

save　trouble。



Now　they　were　not　three　hundred　yards　away；　and　the　crest　of　the　pass

was　still　half　a　mile　ahead。　Five　minutes　passed；　and　here；　where　the

track　was　very　rough；　the　horse　blundered　upwards　slowly。　Mr。　Clifford

was　riding　at　the　time；　and　Benita　running　at　his　side；　holding　to　the

stirrup　leather。　She　looked　behind　her。　The　savages；　fearing　that

their　victims　might　find　shelter　over　the　hill；　were　making　a　rush；

and　the　horse　could　go　no　faster。　One　man；　a　great　tall　fellow；　quite

out…distanced　his　companions。　Two　minutes　more　and　he　was　not　over　a

hundred　paces　from　them；　a　little　nearer　than　they　were　to　the　top　of

the　pass。　Then　the　horse　stopped　and　refused　to　stir　any　more。



Mr。　Clifford　jumped　from　the　saddle；　and　Benita；　who　could　not　speak；

pointed　to　the　pursuing　Matabele。　He　sat　down　upon　a　rock；　cocked　his

rifle；　took　a　deep　breath；　and　aimed　and　fired　at　the　soldier　who　was

coming　on　carelessly　in　the　open。　Mr。　Clifford　was　a　good　shot；　and

shaken　though　he　was；　at　this　supreme　moment　his　skill　did　not　fail

him。　The　man　was　struck　somewhere；　for　he　staggered　about　and　fell；

then　slowly　picked　himself　up；　and　began　to　hobble　back　towards　his

companions；　who；　when　they　met　him；　stopped　a　minute　to　give　him　some

kind　of　assistance。



That　halt　proved　their　salvation；　for　it　gave　them　time　to　make　one

last　despairing　rush；　and　gain　the　brow　of　the　poort。　Not　that　this

would　have　saved　them；　however；　since　where　they　could　go　the　Matabele

could　follow；　and　there　was　still　light　by　which　the　pursuers　would

have　been　able　to　see　to　catch　them。　Indeed；　the　savages；　having　laid

down　the　wounded　man；　came　on　with　a　yell　of　rage；　fifty　or　more　of

them。



Over　the　pass　father　and　daughter　struggled；　Benita　riding；　after

them；　perhaps　sixty　yards　away；　ran　the　Matabele；　gathered　in　a　knot

now　upon　the　narrow；　ancient　road；　bordered　by　steep　hillsides。



Then　suddenly　from　all　about　them；　as　it　appeared　to　Benita；　broke　out

the　blaze　and　roar　of　rifles；　rapid　and　continuous。　Down　went　the

Matabele　by　twos　and　threes；　till　at　last　it　seemed　as　though　but

quite　a　few　of　them　were　left　upon　their　feet；　and　those　came　on　no

more；　they　turned　and　fled　from　the　neck　of　the　narrow　pass　to　the

open　slope　beyond。




Benita　sank　to　the　ground；　and　the　next　thing　that　she　could　remember

was　hearing　the　soft　voice　of　Jacob　Meyer；　who　said：



〃So　you　have　returned　from　your　ride；　Miss　Clifford；　and　perhaps　it

was　as　well　that　the　thought　came　from　you　to　me　that　you　wished　me　to

meet　you　here　in　this　very　place。〃







XVI



BACK　AT　BAMBATSE



How　they　reached　Bambatse　Benita　never　could　remember；　but　afterwards

she　was　told　that　both　she　and