marie-第15章

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

night；　for　it　will　be　an　omen。〃



I　think　the　whisper　was　heard；　though　not　the　words；　for　I　saw　Pereira

bite　his　lip　and　make　a　movement　as　though　to　interrupt　her。　　But　Pieter

Retief　thrust　his　big　form　in　front　of　him　rather　rudely；　and　said　with

one　of　his　hearty　laughs：



〃Allemachte！　friend；　let　the　missje　wish　a　good　journey　to　the　young

fellow　who　saved　her　life。〃



Next　moment　Hans；　the　Hottentot；　screamed　at　the　oxen　in　the　usual

fashion；　and　we　rolled　away　through　the　gate。



But　oh！　if　I　had　liked　the　Heer　Retief　before；　now　I　loved　him。







CHAPTER　V









THE　SHOOTING　MATCH











My　journey　back　to　the　Mission　Station　was　a　strange　contrast　to　that

which　I　had　made　thence　a　few　days　before。　　Then；　the　darkness；　the

swift　mare　beneath　me　rushing　through　it　like　a　bird；　the　awful　terror

in　my　heart　lest　I　should　be　too　late；　as　with　wild　eyes　I　watched　the

paling　stars　and　the　first　gathering　grey　of　dawn。　　Now；　the　creaking　of

the　ox…cart；　the　familiar　veld；　the　bright　glow　of　the　peaceful

sunlight；　and　in　my　heart　a　great　thankfulness；　and　yet　a　new　terror

lest　the　pure　and　holy　love　which　I　had　won　should　be　stolen　away　from

me　by　force　or　fraud。



Well；　as　the　one　matter　had　been　in　the　hand　of　God；　so　was　the　other；

and　with　that　knowledge　I　must　be　content。　　The　first　trial　had　ended　in

death　and　victory。　　How　would　the　second　end？　I　wondered；　and　those

words　seemed　to　jumble　themselves　up　in　my　mind　and　shape　a　sentence

that　it　did　not　conceive。　　It　was：　〃In　the　victory　that　is　death；〃

which；　when　I　came　to　think　of　it；　of　course；　meant　nothing。　　How

victory　could　be　death　I　did　not　understandat　any　rate；　at　that　time；

I　who　was　but　a　lad　of　small　experience。



As　we　trekked　along　comfortably　enough；　for　the　road　was　good　and　the

cart；　being　on　springs；　gave　my　leg　no　pain；　I　asked　my　father　what　he

thought　that　the　Heer　Marais　had　meant　when　he　told　us　that　the　Boers

had　business　at　Maraisfontein；　during　which　our　presence　as　Englishmen

would　not　be　agreeable　to　them。



〃Meant；　Allan？　　He　meant　that　these　traitorous　Dutchmen　are　plotting

against　their　sovereign；　and　are　afraid　lest　we　should　report　their

treason。　　Either　they　intend　to　rebel　because　of　that　most　righteous

act；　the　freeing　of　the　slaves；　and　because　we　will　not　kill　out　all　the

Kaffirs　with　whom　they　chance　to　quarrel；　or　to　trek　from　the　Colony。　

For　my　part　I　think　it　will　be　the　latter；　for；　as　you　have　heard；　some

parties　have　already　gone；　and；　unless　I　am　mistaken；　many　more　mean　to

follow；　Marais　and　Retief　and　that　plotter；　Pereira；　among　them。　　Let

them　go；　I　say；　the　sooner　the　better；　for　I　have　no　doubt　that　the

English　flag　will　follow　them　in　due　course。〃



〃I　hope　that　they　won't；〃　I　answered　with　a　nervous　laugh；　〃at　any　rate；

until　I　have　won　back　my　mare。〃　　（I　had　left　her　in　Retief's　care　as

stakeholder；　until　the　match　should　be　shot　off。）



For　the　rest　of　that　two　and　a　half　hours'　trek　my　father；　looking　very

dignified　and　patriotic；　declaimed　to　me　loudly　about　the　bad　behaviour

of　the　Boers；　who　hated　and　traduced　missionaries；　loathed　and

abominated　British　rule　and　permanent　officials；　loved　slavery　and

killed　Kaffirs　whenever　they　got　the　chance。　　I　listened　to　him

politely；　for　it　was　not　wise　to　cross　my　parent　when　he　was　in　that

humour。　　Also；　having　mixed　a　great　deal　with　the　Dutch；　I　knew　that

there　was　another　side　to　the　question；　namely；　that　the　missionaries

sometimes　traduced　them　（as；　in　fact；　they　did）；　and　that　British　rule；

or　rather；　party　government；　played　strange　tricks　with　the　interests　of

distant　dependencies。　　That　permanent　officials　and　im…permanent　ones

toosuch　as　governors　full　of　a　little　brief　authorityoften

misrepresented　and　oppressed　them。　　That　Kaffirs；　encouraged　by　the

variegated　policy　of　these　party　governments　and　their　servants；

frequently　stole　their　stock；　and　if　they　found　a　chance；　murdered　them

with　their　women　and　children；　as　they　had　tried　to　do　at　Maraisfontein；

though　there；　it　is　true；　they　had　some　provocation。　　That　British

virtue　had　liberated　the　slaves　without　paying　their　owners　a　fair　price

for　them；　and　so　forth。



But；　to　tell　the　truth；　it　was　not　of　these　matters　of　high　policy；

which　were　far　enough　away　from　a　humble　youth　like　myself；　that　I　was

thinking。　　What　appealed　to　me　and　made　my　heart　sick　was　the　reflection

that　if　Henri　Marais　and　his　friends　trekked；　Marie　Marais　must　perforce

trek　with　them；　and　that　whereas　I；　an　Englishman；　could　not　be　of　that

adventurous　company；　Hernando　Pereira　both　could　and　would。





On　the　day　following　our　arrival　home；　what　between　the　fresh　air；

plenty　of　good　food；　for　which　I　found　I　had　an　appetite；　and　liberal

doses　of　Pontaca　generous　Cape　wine　that　is　a　kind　of　cross　between

port　and　BurgundyI　found　myself　so　much　better　that　I　was　able　to　hop

about　the　place　upon　a　pair　of　crutches　which　Hans　improvised　for　me　out

of　Kaffir　sticks。　　Next　morning；　my　improvement　continuing　at　a　rapid

rate；　I　turned　my　attention　seriously　to　the　shooting　match；　for　which　I

had　but　five　days　to　prepare。



Now　it　chanced　that　some　months　before　a　young　Englishman　of　good

familyhe　was　named　the　Honourable　Vavasseur　Smythwho　had　accompanied

an　official　relative　to　the　Cape　Colony；　came　our　way　in　search　of

sport；　of　which　I　was　able　to　show　him　a　good　deal　of　a　humble　kind。　　He

had　brought　with　him；　amongst　other　weapons；　what　in　those　days　was

considered　a　very　beautiful　hair…triggered　small…bore　rifle　fitted　with

a　nipple　for　percussion　caps；　then　quite　a　new　invention。　　It　was　by　a

maker　of　the　name　of　J。　Purdey；　of　London；　and　had　cost　quite　a　large

sum　because　of　the　perfection　of　its　workmanship。　　When　the　Honourable

V。　Smythof　whom　I　have　never　heard　sincetook　his　leave　of　us　on　his

departure　for　England；　being　a　generous…hearted　young　fellow；　as　a

souvenir　of　himself；　he　kindly　presented　me　with　this　rifle；*　which　I

still　have。



＇*This　single…barrelled　percussion…cap　rifle　described　by　Allan

Quatermain；　which　figures　so　prominently　in　the　history　of　this　epoch　of

his　life；　has　been　sent　to　me　by　Mr。　Curtis；　and　is　before　me　as　I

write。　　It　was　made　in　the　year　1835　by　J。　Purdey；　of　314　1/2；　Oxford

Street；　London；　and　is　a　beautiful　piece　of　workmanship　of　its　kind。　

Without　the　ramrod；　which　is　now　missing；　it　weighs　only　5　lbs。　3　3/4

oz。　　The　barrel　is　octagonal；　and　the　rifled　bore；　designed　to　take　a

spherical　bullet；　is　1/2　in。　in　diameter。　　The　hammer　can　be　set　to

safety　on　the　half…cock　by　means　of　a　catch　behind　it。



Another　peculiarity　of　the　weapon；　one　that　I　have　never　seen　before；　is

that　by　pressing　on　the　back　of　the　trigger　the　ordinary　light　pull　of

the　piece　is　so　reduced　that　the　merest　touch　suffices　to　fire　it；　thus

rendering　it　hair…triggered　in　the　fullest　sense　of　the　word。



It　has　two　flap…sights　marked　for　150　and　200　yards；　in　addition　to　the

fixed　sight　designed　for　firing　at　100　yards。



On　the　lock　are　engraved　a　stag　and　a　doe；　the　first　lying　down　and　the

second　standing。



Of　its　sort　and　period；　it　is　an　extraordinarily　well…made　and　handy

gun；　finished　with　horn　at　the　end　of　what　is　now　called　the　tongue；　and

with　the　stock　cut　away　so　as　to　leave　a　raised　cushion　against　which

the　cheek　of　the　shooter　rests。



What　charge　it　took　I　do　not　know；　but　I　should　imagine　from　2　1/2　to　3

drachms　of　powder。　It　is　easy　to　understand　that　in　the　hands　of　Allan

Quatermain　this　weapon；　obsolete　as　it　is　to…day；　was　capable　of　great

things　within　the　limits　of　its　range；　and　that　the　faith　he　put　in　it

at　the　trial　of　skill　at　the　Groote　Kloof；　and　afterwards　in　the　fearful

ordeal　of　the　shooting　of　the　vultures　on　the　wing；　upon　the　Mount　of

Slaughter；　when　the　lives　of　many　hung　upon　his　marksmans