marie-第14章

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his　pipe；　which　had　gone　out。



Then　Retief　began　again。



〃What　is　it　you　were　calling　us　to　listen　to；　Mynheer　Pereira？　　That

this　Heer　Allan　Quatermain　had　offered　to　shoot　you　a　match？　　Well；　why

not？　　If　he　can　hit　Kaffirs　running　at　him　with　spears；　as　he　has　done；

he　may　be　able　to　hit　other　things　also。　　You　say　that　you　won't　rob　him

of　his　moneyno；　it　was　his　beautiful　horsebecause　you　have　taken　so

many　prizes　shooting　at　targets。　　But　did　_you_　ever　hit　a　Kaffir

running　at　_you_　with　an　assegai；　mynheer；　you　who　live　down　there　where

everything　is　safe？　　If　so；　I　never　heard　of　it。〃



Pereira　answered　that　he　did　not　understand　me　to　propose　a　shooting

match　at　Kaffirs　charging　with　assegais；　but　at　something　elsehe　knew

not　what。



〃Quite　so；〃　said　Retief。　　〃Well；　Mynheer　Allan；　what　is　it　that　you　do

propose？〃



〃That　we　should　stand　in　the　great　kloof　between　the　two　_vleis_

yonderthe　Heer　Marais　knows　the　placewhen　the　wild　geese　flight　over

an　hour　before　sunset；　and　that　he　who　brings　down　six　of　them　in　the

fewest　shots　shall　win　the　match。〃



〃If　our　guns　are　loaded　with　loopers　that　will　not　be　difficult；〃　said

Pereira。



〃With　loopers　you　would　seldom　kill　a　bird；　mynheer；〃　I　replied；　〃for

they　come　over　from　seventy　to　a　hundred　yards　up。　　No；　I　mean　with

rifles。〃



〃Allemachte！〃　broke　in　a　Boer；　〃you　will　want　plenty　of　ammunition　to

hit　a　goose　at　that　height　with　a　bullet。〃



〃That　is　my　offer；〃　I　said；　〃to　which　I　add　this；　that　when　twenty　shots

have　been　fired　by　each　man；　he　who　has　killed　the　most　birds　wins；　even

if　he　has　not　brought　down　the　full　six。　　Does　the　Heer　Pereira　accept？　

If　so；　I　will　venture　to　match　myself　against　him；　although　he　has　won

so　many　prizes。〃



The　Heer　Pereira　seemed　extremely　doubtful；　so　doubtful；　indeed；　that

the　Boers　began　to　laugh　at　him。　　In　the　end　he　grew　rather　angry；　and

said　that　he　was　willing　to　shoot　me　at　bucks　or　swallows；　or　fireflies；

or　anything　else　I　liked。



〃Then　let　it　be　at　geese；〃　I　answered；　〃since　it　is　likely　to　be

sometime　before　I　am　strong　enough　to　ride　after　buck　or　other　wild

things。〃'



So　the　terms　of　the　match　were　formally　written　down　by　Marie；　as　my

father；　although　he　took　a　keen　sporting　interest　in　the　result；　would

have　nothing　to　do　with　what　he　called　a　〃wager　for　money；〃　and；　except

myself；　there　was　no　one　else　present　with　sufficient　scholarship　to　pen

a　long　document。　　Then　we　both　signed　them；　Hernan　Pereira　not　very

willingly；　I　thought；　and　if　my　recovery　was　sufficiently　rapid；　the

date　was　fixed　for　that　day　week。　　In　case　of　any　disagreement；　the　Heer

Retief；　who　was　staying　at　Maraisfontein；　or　in　its　neighbourhood；　for　a

while；　was　appointed　referee　and　stakeholder。　　It　was　also　arranged　that

neither　of　us　should　visit　the　appointed　place；　or　shoot　at　the　geese

before　the　match。　　Still　we　were　at　liberty　to　practise　as　much　as　we

liked　at　anything　else　in　the　interval　and　to　make　use　of　any　kind　of

rifle　that　suited　us　best。



By　the　time　that　these　arrangements　were　finished；　feeling　quite　tired

with　all　the　emotions　of　the　morning；　I　was　carried　back　to　my　room。　

Here　my　midday　meal；　cooked　by　Marie；　was　brought　to　me。　　As　I　finished

eating　it；　for　the　fresh　air　had　given　me　an　appetite；　my　father　came

in；　accompanied　by　the　Heer　Marais；　and　began　to　talk　to　me。　　Presently

the　latter　asked　me　kindly　enough　if　I　thought　I　should　be　sufficiently

strong　to　trek　back　to　the　station　that　afternoon　in　an　ox…cart　with

springs　to　it　and　lying　at　full　length　upon　a　hide…strung　〃cartel〃　or

mattress。



I　answered；　〃Certainly；〃　as　I　should　have　done　had　I　been　at　the　point

of　death；　for　I　saw　that　he　wished　to　be　rid　of　me。



〃The　fact　is；　Allan；〃　he　said　awkwardly；　〃I　am　not　inhospitable　as　you

may　think；　especially　towards　one　to　whom　I　owe　so　much。　　But　you　and　my

nephew；　Hernan；　do　not　seem　to　get　on　very　well　together；　and；　as　you

may　guess；　having　just　been　almost　beggared；　I　desire　no　unpleasantness

with　the　only　rich　member　of　my　family。〃



I　replied　I　was　sure　I　did　not　wish　to　be　the　cause　of　any。　　It　seemed

to　me；　however；　that　the　Heer　Pereira　wished　to　make　a　mock　of　me　and　to

bring　it　home　to　me　what　a　poor　creature　I　was　compared　to　himselfI　a

mere　sick　boy　who　was　worth　nothing。



〃I　know；〃　said　Marais　uneasily；　〃my　nephew　has　been　too　fortunate　in

life；　and　is　somewhat　overbearing　in　his　manner。　　He　does　not　remember

that　the　battle　is　not　always　to　the　strong　or　the　race　to　the　swift；　he

who　is　young　and　rich　and　handsome；　a　spoiled　child　from　the　first。　　I

am　sorry；　but　what　I　cannot　help　I　must　put　up　with。　　If　I　cannot　have

my　mealies　cooked；　I　must　eat　them　green。　　Also；　Allan；　have　you　never

heard　that　jealousy　sometimes　makes　people　rude　and　unjust？〃　　and　he

looked　at　me　meaningly。



I　made　no　answer；　for　when　one　does　not　quite　know　what　to　say　it　is

often　best　to　remain　silent；　and　he　went　on：



〃I　am　vexed　to　hear　of　this　foolish　shooting　match　which　has　been

entered　into　without　my　knowledge　or　consent。　　if　he　wins　he　will　only

laugh　at　you　the　more；　and　if　you　win　he　will　be　angry。〃



〃It　was　not　my　fault；　mynheer；〃　I　answered。　　〃He　wanted　to　force　me　to

sell　the　mare；　which　he　had　been　riding　without　my　leave；　and　kept

bragging　about　his　marksmanship。　　So　at　last　I　grew　cross　and　challenged

him。〃



〃No　wonder；　Allan；　I　do　not　blame　you。　　Still；　you　are　silly；　for　it

will　not　matter　to　him　if　he　loses　his　money；　but　that　beautiful　mare　is

your　ewe…lamb；　and　I　should　be　sorry　to　see　you　parted　from　a　beast

which　has　done　us　so　good　a　turn。　　Well；　there　it　is；　perhaps

circumstances　may　yet　put　an　end　to　this　trial；　I　hope　so。〃



〃I　hope　they　won't；〃　I　answered　stubbornly。



〃I　dare　say　you　do；　being　sore　as　a　galled　horse　just　now。　　But　listen；

Allan；　and　you；　too；　Predicant　Quatermain；　there　are　other　and　more

important　reasons　than　this　petty　squabble　why　I　should　be　glad　if　you

could　go　away　for　a　while。　　I　must　take　counsel　with　my　countrymen　about

certain　secret　matters　which　have　to　do　with　our　welfare　and　future；

and；　of　course　they　would　not　like　it　if　all　the　while　there　were　two

Englishmen　on　the　place；　whom　they　might　think　were　spies。〃



〃Say　no　more；　Heer　Marais；〃　broke　in　my　father　hotly；　〃still　less　should

we　like　to　be　where　we　are　not　wanted　or　are　looked　upon　with　suspicion

for　the　crime　of　being　English。　　By　God's　blessing；　my　son　has　been　able

to　do　some　service　to　you　and　yours；　but　now　that　is　all　finished　and

forgotten。　　Let　the　cart　you　are　so　kind　as　to　lend　us　be　inspanned。　　We

will　go　at　once。〃



Then　Henri　Marais；　who　was　a　gentleman　at　bottom；　although；　even　in

those　early　days；　violent　and　foolish　when　excited　or　under　the

influence　of　his　race　prejudices；　began　to　apologise　quite　humbly；

assuring　my　father　that　he　forgot　nothing　and　meant　no　offence。　　So　they

patched　the　matter　up；　and　an　hour　later　we　started。



All　the　Boers　came　to　see　us　off；　giving　me　many　kind　words　and　saying

how　much　they　looked　forward　to　meeting　me　again　on　the　following

Thursday。　　Pereira；　who　was　among　them；　was　also　very　genial；　begging　me

to　be　sure　and　get　well；　since　he　did　not　wish　to　beat　one　who　was　still

crippled；　even　at　a　game　of　goose　shooting。　　I　answered　that　I　would　do

my　best；　as　for　my　part；　I　did　not　like　being　beaten　it　any　game　which　I

had　set　my　heart　on　winning；　whether　it　were　little　or　big。　　Then　I

turned　my　head；　for　I　was　lying　on　my　back　all　this　time；　to　bid

good…bye　to　Marie；　who　had　slipped　out　of　the　house　into　the　yard　where

the　cart　was。



〃Good…bye；　Allan；〃　she　said；　giving　me　her　hand　and　a　look　from　her　eyes

that　I　trusted　was　not　seen。　　Then；　under　pretence　of　arranging　the

kaross　which　was　over　me；　she　bent　down　and　whispered　swiftly：



〃Win　that　match　if　you　love　me。　　I　shall　pray　God　that　you　may　every

night；　for　it　will　be