marie-第24章

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〃Allan；　my　dearest；　I　have　one　more　thing　to　say；　though　I　must　say　it

shortly；　for　the　paper　is　nearly　finished。　　I　do　not　know；　supposing

that　you　are　alive　and　well；　whether　you　still　care　for　me；　who　left　you

so　long　agoit　seems　years　and　yearsbut　_my_　heart　is　where　it　was；

and　where　I　promised　it　should　remain；　in　your　keeping。　　Of　course；

Hernan　has　pressed　me　to　marry　him；　and　my　father　has　wished　it。　　But　I

have　always　said　no；　and　now；　in　our　wretchedness；　there　is　no　more　talk

of　marriage　at　present；　which　is　the　one　good　thing　that　has　happened　to

me。　　And；　Allan；　before　so　very　long　I　shall　be　of　age；　if　I　live。　

Still　I　dare　say　you　no　longer　think　of　marriage　with　me；　who；　perhaps；

are　already　married　to　someone　else；　especially　as　now　I　and　all　of　us

are　no　better　than　wandering　beggars。　　Yet　I　have　thought　it　right　to

tell　you　these　things；　which　you　may　like　to　know。



〃Oh；　why　did　God　ever　put　it　into　my　father's　heart　to　leave　the　Cape

Colony　just　because　he　hated　the　British　Government　and　Hernan　Pereira

and　others　persuaded　him？　　I　know　not；　but；　poor　man；　he　is　sorry　enough

now。　　It　is　pitiful　to　see　him；　at　times　I　think　that　he　is　going　mad。



〃The　paper　is　done；　and　the　messenger　is　going；　also　the　sick　child　is

dying　and　I　must　attend　to　her。　　Will　this　letter　ever　come　to　your

hands；　I　wonder？　　I　am　sending　with　it　the　little　money　I　have　to　pay

for　its　deliveryabout　four　pounds　English。　　If　not；　there　is　an　end。　

If　it　does；　and　you　cannot　come　or　send　others；　at　least　pray　for　us。　　I

dream　of　you　by　night　and　think　of　you　by　day；　for　how　much　I　love　you　I

cannot　tell。



〃In　life　or　death　I　am



〃Your　MARIE。〃





Such　was　this　awful　letter。　　I　still　have　it；　it　lies　before　me；　those

ragged　sheets　of　paper　covered　with　faint　pencil…writing　that　is　blotted

here　and　there　with　tear　marks；　some　of　them　the　tears　of　Marie　who

wrote；　some　of　them　the　tears　of　me　who　read。　　I　wonder　if　there　exists

a　more　piteous　memorial　of　the　terrible　sufferings　of　the　trek…Boers；

and　especially　of　such　of　them　as　forced　their　way　into　the　poisonous

veld　around　Delagoa；　as　did　this　Marais　expedition　and　those　under　the

command　of　Triechard。　　Better；　like　many　of　their　people；　to　have

perished　at　once　by　the　spears　of　Umzilikazi　and　other　savages　than　to

endure　these　lingering　tortures　of　fever　and　starvation。



As　I　finished　reading　this　letter　my　father；　who　had　been　out　visiting

some　of　his　Mission　Kaffirs；　entered　the　house；　and　I　went　into　the

sitting…room　to　meet　him。



〃Why；　Allan；　what　is　the　matter　with　you？〃　he　asked；　noting　my

tear…stained　face。



I　gave　him　the　letter；　for　I　could　not　speak；　and　with　difficulty　he

deciphered　it。



〃Merciful　God；　what　dreadful　news！〃　he　said　when　he　had　finished。　

〃Those　poor　people！　those　poor；　misguided　people！　　What　can　be　done　for

them？〃



〃I　know　one　thing　that　can　be　done；　father；　or　at　any　rate　can　be

attempted。　　I　can　try　to　reach　them。〃



〃Are　you　mad？〃　he　asked。　　〃How　is　it　possible　for　you；　one　man；　to　get

to　Delagoa　Bay；　buy　cattle；　and　rescue　these　folk；　who　probably　are　now

all　dead？〃



〃The　first　two　things　are　possible　enough；　father。　　Some　ship　will　take

me　to　the　Bay。　　You　have　Marais's　money；　and　I　have　that　five　hundred

pounds　which　my　old　aunt　in　England　left　me　last　year。　　Thank　Heaven！

owing　to　my　absence　on　commando；　it　still　lies　untouched　in　the　bank　at

Port　Elizabeth。　　That　is　about　eight　hundred　pounds　in　all；　which　would

buy　a　great　many　cattle　and　other　things。　　As　for　the　third；　it　is　not

in　our　hands；　is　it？　　It　may　be　that　they　cannot　be　rescued；　it　may　be

that　they　are　dead。　　I　can　only　go　to　see。〃



〃But；　Allan；　Allan；　you　are　my　only　son；　and　if　you　go　it　is　probable

that　I　shall　never　see　you　more。〃



〃I　have　been　through　more　dangers　lately；　father；　and　am　still　alive　and

well。　　Moreover；　if　Marie　is　dead〃I　paused；　then　went　on

passionately〃Do　not　try　to　stop　me；　for　I　tell　you；　father；　I　will　not

be　stopped。　　Think　of　the　words　in　that　letter　and　what　a　shameless

hound　I　should　be　if　I　sat　here　quiet　while　Marie　is　dying　yonder。　

Would　you　have　done　so　if　Marie　had　been　my　mother？〃



〃No；〃　answered　the　old　gentleman；　〃I　should　not。　　Go；　and　God　be　with

you；　Allan；　and　me　also；　for　I　never　expect　to　see　you　again。〃　　And　he

turned　his　head　aside　for　a　while。



Then　we　went　into　matters。　　The　smous　was　summoned　and　asked　about　the

ship　which　brought　the　letter　from　Delagoa。　　It　seemed　that　she　was　an

English…owned　brig　known　as　the　Seven　Stars；　and　that　her　captain；　one

Richardson；　proposed　to　sail　back　to　the　Bay　on　the　morrow；　that　was　the

third　of　July；　or　in　other　words；　within　twenty…four　hours。



Twenty…four　hours！　　And　Port　Elizabeth　was　one　hundred　and　eighteen

miles　away；　and　the　Seven　Stars　might　leave　earlier　if　she　had　completed

her　cargo　and　wind　and　weather　served。　　Moreover；　if　she　did　leave；　it

might　be　weeks　or　months　before　any　other　ship　sailed　for　Delagoa　Bay；

for　in　those　days；　of　course；　there　were　no　mail　boats。



I　looked　at　my　watch。　　It　was　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　and　from　a

calendar　we　had；　which　gave　the　tides　at　Port　Elizabeth　and　other　South

African　harbours；　it　did　not　seem　probable　that　the　Seven　Stars　would

sail；　if　she　kept　to　her　date；　before　about　eight　on　the　morrow。　　One

hundred　and　twenty　miles　to　be　covered　in；　say；　fourteen　hours　over

rough　country　with　some　hills！　　Well；　on　the　other　hand；　the　roads　were

fairly　good　and　dry；　with　no　flooded　rivers　to　cross；　although　there

might　be　one　to　swim；　and　there　was　a　full　moon。　　It　could　be

donebarely；　and　now　I　was　glad　indeed　that　Hernan　Pereira　had　not　won

my　swift　mare　in　that　shooting　match。



I　called　to　Hans；　who　was　loafing　about　outside；　and　said　quietly：



〃I　ride　to　Port　Elizabeth；　and　must　be　there　by　eight　o'clock　to…morrow

morning。〃



〃Allemachte！〃　exclaimed　Hans；　who　had　been　that　road　several　times。



〃You　will　go　with　me；　and　from　Port　Elizabeth　on　to　Delagoa　Bay。　　Saddle

the　mare　and　the　roan　horse；　and　put　a　headstall　on　the　chestnut　to　lead

with　you　as　a　spare。　　Give　them　all　a　feed；　but　no　water。　　We　start　in

half　an　hour。〃　　Then　I　added　certain　directions　as　to　the　guns　we　would

take；　saddle…bags；　clothes；　blankets　and　other　details；　and　bade　him

start　about　the　business。



Hans　never　hesitated。　　He　had　been　with　me　through　my　recent　campaign；

and　was　accustomed　to　sudden　orders。　　Moreover；　I　think　that　if　I　had

told　him　I　was　riding　to　the　moon；　beyond　his　customary　exclamation　of

〃Allemachte！〃　he　would　have　made　no　objection　to　accompanying　me

thither。



The　next　half…hour　was　a　busy　time　for　me。　　Henri　Marais's　money　had　to

be　got　out　of　the　strong　box　and　arranged　in　a　belt　of　buck's　hide　that

I　had　strapped　about　me。　　A　letter　had　to　be　written　by　my　father　to　the

manager　of　the　Port　Elizabeth　bank；　identifying　me　as　the　owner　of　the

sum　lodged　there　in　my　name。　　A　meal　must　be　eaten　and　some　food

prepared　for　us　to　carry。　　The　horses'　shoes　had　to　be　seen　to；　and　a

few　clothes　packed　in　the　saddle…bags。　　Also　there　were　other　things

which　I　have　forgotten。　　Yet　within　five…and…thirty　minutes　the　long；

lean　mare　stood　before　the　door。　　Behind　her；　with　a　tall　crane's

feather　in　his　hat；　was　Hans；　mounted　on　the　roan　stallion；　and　leading

the　chestnut；　a　four…year…old　which　I　had　bought　as　a　foal　on　the　mare

as　part　of　the　bargain。　　Having　been　corn　fed　from　a　colt　it　was　a　very

sound　and　well…grown　horse；　though　not　the　equal　of　its　mother　in　speed。



In　the　passage　my　poor　old　father；　who　was　quite　bewildered　by　the

rapidity　and　urgent　nature　of　this　business；　embraced　me。



〃God　bless　you；　my　dear　boy；〃　he　said。　　〃I　have　had　little　time　to

think；　but　I　pray　that　this　may　be　all　for　the　best；　and　that　we　may

meet　again　in　the　world。　　But　if　not；　remember　what　I　have　taught　you；

and　if　I　survive　you；　for　my　par