marie-第26章

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the　acting…governor　and　ending　with　a　drunken　black　sweep　who　sat　in　a

kind　of　sentry　box　on　the　quay。



Early　next　morning　the　Seven　Stars　sailed　again；　because　of　some　quarrel

with　the　officials；　who　threatened　to　seize　herI　forget　why。　　Her

destination　was　the　East　African　ports　and；　I　think；　Madagascar；　where　a

profitable　trade　was　to　be　done　in　carrying　cattle　and　slaves。　　Captain

Richardson　said　he　might　be　back　at　Lorenzo　Marquez　in　two　or　three

months'　time；　or　he　might　not。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　the　latter

supposition　proved　correct；　for　the　Seven　Stars　was　lost　on　a　sandbank

somewhere　up　the　coast；　her　crew　only　escaping　to　Mombasa　after　enduring

great　hardships。



Well；　she　had　served　my　turn；　for　I　heard　afterwards　that　no　other　ship

put　into　the　Bay　for　a　whole　year　from　the　date　she　left　it。　　So　if　I

had　not　caught　her　at　Port　Elizabeth　I　could　not　have　come　at　all；

except；　of　course；　overland。　　This　at　best　must　have　taken　many　months；

and　was　moreover　a　journey　that　no　man　could　enter　on　alone。



Now　I　get　back　to　my　story　again。



There　was　no　inn　at　Lorenzo　Marquez。　　Through　the　kindness　of　one　of　his

native　or　half…breed　wives；　who　could　talk　a　little　Dutch；　I　managed；

however；　to　get　a　lodging　in　a　tumble…down　house　belonging　to　a

dissolute　person　who　called　himself　Don　Jose　Ximenes；　but　who　was　really

himself　a　half…breed。　　Here　good　fortune　befriended　me。　　Don　Jose；　when

sober；　was　a　trader　with　the　natives；　and　a　year　before　had　acquired

from　them　two　good　buck　wagons。　　Probably　they　were　stolen　from　some

wandering　Boers　or　found　derelict　after　their　murder　or　death　by　fever。　

These　wagons　he　was　only　too　glad　to　sell　for　a　song。　　I　think　I　gave

him　twenty　pounds　English　for　the　two；　and　thirty　more　for　twelve　oxen

that　he　had　bought　at　the　same　time　as　the　wagons。　　They　were　fine

beasts　of　the　Afrikander　breed；　that　after　a　long　rest　had　grown　quite

fat　and　strong。



Of　course　twelve　oxen　were　not　enough　to　draw　two　wagons；　or　even　one。　

Therefore；　hearing　that　there　were　natives　on　the　mainland　who　possessed

plenty　of　cattle；　I　at　once　gave　out　that　I　was　ready　to　buy；　and　pay

well　in　blankets；　cloth；　beads　and　so　forth。　　The　result　was　that　within

two　days　I　had　forty　or　fifty　to　choose　from；　small　animals　of　the　Zulu

character　and；　I　should　add；　unbroken。　　Still　they　were　sturdy　and　used

to　that　veld　and　its　diseases。　　Here　it　was　that　my　twelve　trained

beasts　came　in。　　By　putting　six　of　them　to　each　wagon；　two　as　fore…　and

two　as　after…oxen；　and　two　in　the　middle；　Hans　and　I　were　able　to　get

the　other　ten　necessary　to　make　up　a　team　of　sixteen　under　some　sort　of

control。



Heavens！　how　we　worked　during　the　week　or　so　which　went　by　before　it　was

possible　for　me　to　leave　Lorenzo　Marquez。　　What　with　mending　up　and

loading　the　wagons；　buying　and　breaking　in　the　wild　oxen；　purchasing

provisions；　hiring　native　servantsof　whom　I　was　lucky　enough　to　secure

eight　who　belonged　to　one　of　the　Zulu　tribes　and　desired　to　get　back　to

their　own　country；　whence　they　had　wandered　with　some　Boers；　I　do　not

think　that　we　slept　more　than　two　or　three　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four。



But；　it　may　be　asked；　what　was　my　aim；　whither　went　I；　what　inquiries

had　I　made？　　To　answer　the　last　question　first；　I　had　made　every

possible　inquiry；　but　with　little　or　no　result。　　Marie's　letter　had　said

that　they　were　encamped　on　the　bank　of　the　Crocodile　River；　about　fifty

miles　from　Delagoa　Bay。　　I　asked　everyone　I　met　among　the

Portuguesewho；　after　all；　were　not　manyif　they　had　heard　of　such　an

encampment　of　emigrant　Boers。　　But　these　Portuguese　appeared　to　have

heard　nothing；　except　my　host；　Don　Jose；　who　had　a　vague　recollection　of

somethinghe　could　not　remember　what。



The　fact　was　at　this　time　the　few　people　who　lived　at　Lorenzo　Marquez

were　too　sodden　with　liquor　and　other　vices　to　take　any　interest　in

outside　news　that　did　not　immediately　concern　them。　　Moreover；　the

natives　whom　they　flogged　and　oppressed　if　they　were　their　servants；　or

fought　with　if　they　were　not；　told　them　little；　and　almost　nothing　that

was　true；　for　between　the　two　races　there　was　an　hereditary　hate

stretching　back　for　generations。　　So　from　the　Portuguese　I　gained　no

information。



Then　I　turned　to　the　Kaffirs；　especially　to　those　from　whom　I　had　bought

the　cattle。　　_They_　had　heard　that　some　Boers　reached　the　banks　of　the

Crocodile　moons　agohow　many　they　could　not　tell。　　But　that　country；

they　said；　was　under　the　rule　of　a　chief　who　was　hostile　to　them；　and

killed　any　of　their　people　who　ventured　thither。　　Therefore　they　knew

nothing　for　certain。　　Still；　one　of　them　stated　that　a　woman　whom　he　had

bought　as　a　slave；　and　who　had　passed　through　the　district　in　question　a

few　weeks　before；　told　him　that　someone　had　told　her　that　these　Boers

were　all　dead　of　sickness。　　She　added　that　she　had　seen　their　wagon　caps

from　a　distance；　so；　if　they　were　dead；　〃their　wagons　were　still　alive。〃



I　asked　to　see　this　woman；　but　the　native　refused　to　produce　her。　　After

a　great　deal　of　talk；　however；　he　offered　to　sell　her　to　me；　saying　that

he　was　tired　of　her。　　So　I　bargained　with　the　man　and　finally　agreed　for

her　purchase　for　three　pounds　of　copper　wire　and　eight　yards　of　blue

cloth。　　Next　morning　she　was　produced；　an　extremely　ugly　person　with　a

large；　flat　nose；　who　came　from　somewhere　in　the　interior　of　Africa；

having；　I　gathered；　been　taken　captive　by　Arabs　and　sold　from　hand　to

hand。　　Her　name；　as　near　as　I　can　pronounce　it；　was　Jeel。



I　had　great　difficulty　in　establishing　communication　with　her；　but

ultimately　found　that　one　of　my　newly　hired　Kaffirs　could　understand

something　of　her　language。　　Even　then　it　was　hard　to　make　her　talk；　for

she　had　never　seen　a　white　man；　and　thought　I　had　bought　her　for　some

dreadful　purpose　or　other。　　However；　when　she　found　that　she　was　kindly

treated；　she　opened　her　lips　and　told　me　the　same　story　that　her　late

master　had　repeated；　neither　more　nor　less。　　Finally　I　asked　her　whether

she　could　guide　me　to　the　place　where　she　had　seen　the　〃live　wagons。〃



She　answered：　〃Oh；　yes；〃　as　she　had　travelled　many　roads　and　never

forgot　any　of　them。



This；　of　course；　was　all　I　wanted　from　the　woman；　who；　I　may　add；

ultimately　gave　me　a　good　deal　of　trouble。　　The　poor　creature　seemed

never　to　have　experienced　kindness；　and　her　gratitude　for　the　little　I

showed　her　was　so　intense　that　it　became　a　nuisance。　　She　followed　me

about　everywhere；　trying　to　do　me　service　in　her　savage　way；　and　even

attempted　to　seize　my　food　and　chew　it　before　I　put　it　into　my　own

mouthto　save　me　the　trouble；　I　suppose。　　Ultimately　I　married　her；

somewhat　against　her　will；　I　fear；　to　one　of　the　hired　Kaffirs；　who　made

her　a　very　good　husband；　although　when　he　was　dismissed　from　my　service

she　wanted　to　leave　him　and　follow　me。



At　length；　under　the　guidance　of　this　woman；　Jeel；　we　made　a　start。　

There　were　but　fifty　miles　to　go；　a　distance　that　on　a　fair　road　any

good　horse　would　cover　in　eight　hours；　or　less。　　But　we　had　no　horses；

and　there　was　no　roadnothing　but　swamps　and　bush　and　rocky　hills。　

With　our　untrained　cattle　it　took　us　three　days　to　travel　the　first

twelve　miles；　though　after　that　things　went　somewhat　better。



It　may　be　asked；　why　did　I　not　send　on？　　But　whom　could　I　send　when　no

one　knew　the　way；　except　the　woman；　Jeel；　whom　I　feared　to　part　with

lest　I　should　see　her　no　more？　　Moreover；　what　was　the　use　of　sending；

since　the　messengers　could　take　no　help？　　If　everyone　at　the　camp　was

dead；　as　rumour　told　uswell；　they　were　dead。　　And　if　they　lived；　the

hope　was　that　they　might　live　a　little　longer。　　Meanwhile；　I　dared　not

part　with　my　guide；　nor　dared　I　leave　the　relief　wagons　to　go　on　with

her　alone。　　If　I　did　so；　I　knew　that　I　should　never　see　them　again；

since　only　the　prestige　of　their　being　owned　by　a　white　man　who　was　not

a　Portuguese　prevented　the　natives　from　loot