marie-第28章

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food；　food！_〃



Then　Marais　burst　into　tears　and　flung　himself　upon　my　breast；　nearly

knocking　me　down。　　I　wrenched　myself　free　of　him　and　ran　to　Marie；　who

was　lying　face　upwards　on　the　ground。　　She　seemed　to　hear　my　step；　for

her　eyes　opened　and　she　struggled　to　a　sitting　posture。



〃Is　it　really　you；　Allan；　or　do　I　dream？〃　she　murmured。



〃It　is　I；　it　is　I；〃　I　answered；　lifting　her　to　her　feet；　for　she　seemed

to　weigh　no　more　than　a　child。　　Her　head　fell　upon　my　shoulder；　and　she

too　began　to　weep。



Still　holding　her；　I　turned　to　the　men　and　said：



〃Why　do　you　starve　when　there；　is　game　all　about？〃　and　I　pointed　to　two

fat　elands　strolling　among　the　trees　not　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty

yards　away。



〃Can　we　kill　game　with　stones？〃　asked　one　of　them；　〃we　whose　powder　was

all　burnt　a　month　ago。　　Those　buck；〃　he　added；　with　a　wild　laugh；　〃come

here　to　mock　us　every　morning；　but　they　will　not　walk　into　our　pitfalls。

　They　know　them　too　well；　and　we　have　no　strength　to　dig　others。〃



Now　when　I　left　my　wagons　I　had　brought　with　me　that　same　Purdey　rifle

with　which　I　had　shot　the　geese　in　the　match　against　Pereira；　choosing

it　because　it　was　so　light　to　carry。　　I　held　up　my　hand　for　silence；　set

Marie　gently　on　the　ground；　and　began　to　steal　towards　the　elands。　

Taking　what　shelter　I　could；　I　got　within　a　hundred　yards　of　them；　when

suddenly　they　took　alarm；　being　frightened；　in　fact；　by　my　two　Zulu

servants；　who　were　now　arriving。



Off　they　galloped；　the　big　bull　leading；　and　vanished　behind　some　trees。

　I　saw　their　line；　and　that　they　would　appear　again　between　two　clumps

of　bush　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　yards　away。　　Hastily　I　raised　the

full　sight　on　the　rifle；　which　was　marked　for　two　hundred　yards；　lifted

it；　and　waited；　praying　to　God　as　I　did　so　that　my　skill　might　not　fail

me。



The　bull　appeared；　its　head　held　forward；　its　long　horns　lying　flat　upon

the　back。　　The　shot　was　very　long；　and　the　beast　very　large　to　bring

down　with　so　small　a　bullet。　　I　aimed　right　forwardclear　of　it；

indeedhigh　too；　in　a　line　with　its　backbone；　and　pressed　the　trigger。



The　rifle　exploded；　the　bullet　clapped；　and　the　buck　sprang　forward

faster　than　ever。　　I　had　failed！　　But　what　was　this？　　Suddenly　the　great

bull　swung　round　and　began　to　gallop　towards　us。　　When　it　was　not　more

than　fifty　yards　away；　it　fell　in　a　heap；　rolled　twice　over　like　a　shot

rabbit；　and　lay　still。　　That　bullet　was　in　its　heart。



The　two　Kaffirs　appeared　breathless　and　streaming　with　perspiration。



〃Cut　meat　from　the　eland's　flank；　don't　stop　to　skin　it；〃　I　said　in　my

broken　Zulu；　helping　the　words　out　with　signs。



They　understood；　and　a　minute　later　were　at　work　with　their　assegais。　

Then　I　looked　about　me。　　Near　by　lay　a　store　of　dead　branches　placed

there　for　fuel。



〃Have　you　fire？〃　I　asked　of　the　skeleton　Boers；　for　they　were　nothing

more。



〃Nein；　nein；〃　they　answered；　〃our　fire　is　dead。〃



I　produced　the　tinder…box　which　I　carried　with　me；　and　struck　the　flint。

　Ten　minutes　later　we　had　a　cheerful　blaze；　and　within　three…quarters　of

an　hour　good　soup；　for　iron　pots　were　not　wantingonly　food　to　put　into

them。　　I　think　that　for　the　rest　of　that　day　those　poor　creatures　did

little　else　but　eat；　sleeping　between　their　meals。　　Oh！　the　joy　I　had　in

feeding　them；　especially　after　the　wagons　arrived；　bringing　with　them

salthow　they　longed　for　that　salt！sugar　and　coffee。







CHAPTER　IX









THE　PROMISE











Of　the　original　thirty…five　souls；　not　reckoning　natives；　who　had

accompanied　Henri　Marais　upon　his　ill…fated　expedition；　there　now

remained　but　nine　alive　at　the　new　Maraisfontein。　　These　were　himself；

his　daughter；　four　Prinsloosa　family　of　extraordinary

constitutionand　three　Meyers；　being　the　husband　of　the　poor　woman　I

had　seen　committed　to　the　grave　and　two　of　her　six　children。　　The　rest；

Hernan　Pereira　excepted；　had　died　of　fever　and　actual　starvation；　for

when　the　fever　lessened　with　the　change　of　the　seasons；　the　starvation

set　in。　　It　appeared　that；　with　the　exception　of　a　very　little；　they　had

stored　their　powder　in　a　kind　of　outbuilding　which　they　constructed；

placing　it　at　a　distance　for　safety's　sake。　　When　most　of　the　surviving

men　were　away；　however；　a　grass　fire　set　light　to　this　outbuilding　and

all　the　powder　blew　up。



After　this；　for　a　while　they　supplied　the　camp　with　food　by　the　help　of

such　ammunition　as　remained　to　them。　　When　that　failed　they　dug　pits　in

which　to　catch　game。　　In　time　the　buck　came　to　know　of　these　pits；　so

that　they　snared　no　more。



Then；　as　the　〃biltong〃　or　sun…dried　meat　they　had　made　was　all　consumed；

they　were　driven　to　every　desperate　expedient　that　is　known　to　the

starving；　such　as　the　digging　up　of　bulbs；　the　boiling　of　grass；　twigs

and　leaves；　the　catching　of　lizards；　and　so　forth。　　I　believe　that　they

actually　ate　caterpillars　and　earthworms。　　But　after　their　last　fire

went　out　through　the　neglect　of　the　wretched　Kaffir　who　was　left　to

watch　it；　and　having　no　tinder；　they　failed　to　relight　it　by　friction；

of　course　even　this　food　failed　them。　　When　I　arrived　they　had

practically　been　three　days　without　anything　to　eat　except　green　leaves

and　grass；　such　as　I　saw　the　child　chewing。　　In　another　seventy　hours

doubtless　every　one　of　them　would　have　been　dead。



Well；　they　recovered　rapidly　enough；　for　those　who　had　survived　its

ravages　were　evidently　now　impervious　to　fever。　　Who　can　tell　the　joy

that　I　experienced　as　I　watched　Marie　returning　from　the　very　brink　of

the　grave　to　a　state　of　full　and　lovely　womanhood？　　After　all；　we　were

not　so　far　away　from　the　primitive　conditions　of　humanity；　when　the

first　duty　of　man　was　to　feed　his　women　and　his　children；　and　I　think

that　something　of　that　instinct　remains　with　us。　　At　least；　I　know　I

never　experienced　a　greater　pleasure　than　I　did；　when　the　woman　I　loved；

the　poor；　starving　woman；　ate　and　ate　of　the　food　which　_I_　was　able　to

give　hershe　who　for　weeks　had　existed　upon　locusts　and　herbs。



For　the　first　few　days　we　did　not　talk　much　except　of　the　immediate

necessities　of　the　hour；　which　occupied　all　our　thoughts。　　Afterwards；

when　Marais　and　his　daughter　were　strong　enough　to　bear　it；　we　had　some

conversation。　　He　began　by　asking　how　I　came　to　find　them。



I　replied；　through　Marie's　letter；　which；　it　appeared；　he　knew　nothing

of；　for　he　had　forbidden　her　to　write　to　me。



〃It　seems　fortunate　that　you　were　disobeyed；　mynheer；〃　I　said；　to　which

he　answered　nothing。



Then　I　told　the　tale　of　the　arrival　of　that　letter　at　the　Mission

Station　in　the　Cape　Colony　by　the　hand　of　a　wandering　smous；　and　of　my

desperate　ride　upon　the　swift　mare　to　Port　Elizabeth；　where　I　just

succeeded　in　catching　the　brig　Seven　Stars　before　she　sailed。　　Also　I

told　them　of　the　lucky　chances　that　enabled　me　to　buy　the　wagons　and

find　a　guide　to　their　camp；　reaching　it　but　a　few　hours　before　it　was

too　late。



〃It　was　a　great　deed；〃　said　Henri　Marais；　taking　the　pipe　from　his

mouth；　for　I　had　brought　tobacco　among　my　stores。　　〃But　tell　me；　Allan；

why　did　you　do　it　for　the　sake　of　one　who　has　not　treated　you　kindly？〃



〃I　did　it；〃　I　answered；　〃for　the　sake　of　one　who　has　always　treated　me

kindly；〃　and　I　nodded　towards　Marie；　who　was　engaged　in　washing　up　the

cooking　pots　at　a　distance。



〃I　suppose　so；　Allan；　but　you　know　she　is　affianced　to　another。〃



〃I　know　that　she　is　affianced　to　me；　and　to　no　other；〃　I　answered

warmly；　adding；　〃And　pray　where　is　this　other？　　If　he　lives　I　do　not　see

him　here。〃



〃No；〃　replied　Marais　in　a　curious　voice。　　〃The　truth　is；　Allan；　that

Hernan　Pereira　left　us　about　a　fortnight　before　you　came。　　One　horse

remained；　which　was　his；　and　with　two　Hottentots；　who　were　also　his

servants；　he　rode　back　upon　the　track　by　which　we　came；　to　try　to　find

help。　　Since　then　we　have　heard　nothing　of　him。〃



〃Indeed；