marie-第31章

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again。　　Pereira　and　Klaus　proceeded　on　foot　till　they　came　to　a　great

river；　on　the　banks　of　which　they　met　some　Kaffirs；　who　appear　to　have

been　Zulus　on　outpost　duty。　　These　men　demanded　their　guns　and

ammunition　to　take　to　their　king；　and；　on　Pereira　refusing　to　give　them

up；　said　that　they　would　kill　them　both　in　the　morning　after　they　had

made　him　instruct　them　in　the　use　of　the　guns　by　beating　him　with

sticks。



In　the　night　a　storm　came　on；　under　cover　of　which　Pereira　and　Klaus

escaped。　　As　they　dared　not　go　forward　for　fear　lest　they　should　fall

into　the　hands　of　the　Zulus；　they　fled　back　northwards；　running　all

night；　only　to　find　in　the　morning　that　they　had　lost　their　way　in　the

bush。　　This　had　happened　nearly　a　month　beforeor；　at　any　rate；　Klaus

thought　so；　for　no　doubt　the　days　went　very　slowlyduring　which　time

they　had　wandered　about；　trying　to　shape　some　sort　of　course　by　the　sun

with　the　object　of　returning　to　the　camp。　　They　met　no　man；　black　or

white；　and　supported　themselves　upon　game；　which　they　shot　and　ate　raw

or　sun…dried；　till　at　length　all　their　powder　was　done　and　they　threw

away　their　heavy　roers；　which　they　could　no　longer　carry。



It　was　at　this　juncture　that　from　the　top　of　a　tall　tree　Klaus　saw　a

certain　koppie　a　long　way　off；　which　he　recognised　as　being　within

fifteen　miles　or　so　of　Marais's　camp。　　By　now　they　were　starving；　only

Klaus　was　the　stronger　of　the　two；　for　he　found　and　devoured　some

carrion；　a　dead　hyena　I　think　it　was。　　Pereira　also　tried　to　eat　this

horrible　food；　but；　not　having　the　stomach　of　a　Hottentot；　the　first

mouthful　of　it　made　him　dreadfully　ill。　　They　sought　shelter　in　a　cave

on　the　bank　of　a　stream；　where　grew　water…cresses　and　other　herbs；　such

as　wild　asparagus。　　Here　it　was　that　Pereira　told　Klaus　to　try　to　make

his　way　back　to　the　camp；　and；　should　he　find　anyone　alive　there；　to

bring　him　succour。



So　Klaus　went；　taking　the　remaining　leg　of　the　hyena　with　him；　and　on

the　afternoon　of　the　second　day　arrived　as　has　been　told。







CHAPTER　X









VROUW　PRINSLOO　SPEAKS　HER　MIND











Now；　when　the　Hottentot's　story　was　finished　a　discussion　arose。　　Marais

said　that　someone　must　go　to　see　whether　his　nephew　still　lived；　to

which　the　other　Boers　replied　〃Ja〃　in　an　indifferent　voice。　　Then　the

Vrouw　Prinsloo　took　up　her　parable。



She　remarked；　as　she　had　done　before；　that　in　her　judgment　Hernan

Pereira　was　〃a　stinkcat　and　a　sneak；〃　who　had　tried　to　desert　them　in

their　trouble；　and　by　the　judgment　of　a　just　God　had　got　into　trouble

himself。　　Personally；　she　wished　that　the　lion　had　taken　him　instead　of

the　worthy　Hottentot；　although　it　gave　her　a　higher　opinion　of　lions　to

conclude　that　it　had　not　done　so；　because　if　it　did　it　thought　it　would

have　been　poisoned。　　Well；　her　view　was　that　it　would　be　just　as　well　to

let　that　traitor　lie　upon　the　bed　which　he　had　made。　　Moreover；

doubtless　by　now　he　was　dead；　so　what　was　the　good　of　bothering　about

him？



These　sentiments　appeared　to　appeal　to　the　Boers；　for　they　remarked：

〃Ja；　what　is　the　good？〃



〃Is　it　right；〃　asked　Marais；　〃to　abandon　a　comrade　in　misfortune；　one　of

our　own　blood？〃



〃Mein　Gott！〃　replied　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　〃he　is　no　blood　of　mine；　the

evil…odoured　Portuguee。　　But　I　admit　he　is　of　yours；　Heer　Marais；　being

your　sister's　son；　so　it　is　evident　that　you　should　be　the　one　to　go　to

seek　after　him。〃



〃That　seems　to　be　so；　Vrouw　Prinsloo；〃　said　Marais　in　his　meditative

manner；　〃yet　I　must　remember　that　I　have　Marie　to　look　after。〃



〃Ach！　and　so　had　he；　too；　until　he　remembered　his　own　skin；　and　went　off

with　the　only　horse　and　all　the　powder；　leaving　her　and　the　rest　of　us

to　starve。　　Well；　you　won't　go；　and　Prinsloo　won't　go；　nor　my　boy

either；　for　I'll　see　to　that；　so　Meyer　must　go。〃



〃Nein；　nein；　good　vrouw；〃　answered　Meyer；　〃I　have　those　children　that

are　left　to　me　to　consider。〃



〃Then；〃　exclaimed　Vrouw　Prinsloo　triumphantly；　〃nobody　will　go；　so　let

us　forget　this　stinkcat；　as　he　forgot　us。〃



〃Does　it　seem　right；〃　asked　Marais　again；　〃that　a　Christian　man　should

be　left　to　starve　in　the　wilderness？〃　and　he　looked　at　me。



〃Tell　me；　Heer　Marais；〃　I　remarked；　answering　the　look；　〃why　should　I　of

all　people　go　to　look　for　the　Heer　Pereira；　one　who　has　not　dealt　too

well　with　me？〃



〃I　do　not　know；　Allan。　　Yet　the　Book　tells　us　to　turn　the　other　cheek

and　to　forget　injuries。　　Still；　it　is　for　you　to　judge；　remembering　that

we　must　answer　for　all　things　at　the　last　day；　and　not　for　me。　　I　only

know　that　were　I　your　age　and　not　burdened　with　a　daughter　to　watch

over；　_I_　should　go。〃



〃Why　should　you　talk　to　me　thus？〃　I　asked　with　indignation。　　〃Why　do　you

not　go　yourself；　seeing　that　I　am　quite　ready　to　look　after　Marie？〃

（Here　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　and　the　other　Boers　tittered。）　　〃And　why　do　you

not　address　your　remarks　to　these　other　heeren　instead　of　to　me；　seeing

that　they　are　the　friends　and　trek…companions　of　your　nephew？〃



At　this　point　the　male　Prinsloos　and　Meyer　found　that　they　had　business

elsewhere。



〃It　is　for　you　to　judge；　yet　remember；　Allan；　that　it　is　an　awful　thing

to　appear　before　our　Maker　with　the　blood　of　a　fellow　creature　upon　our

hands。　　But　if　you　and　these　other　hard…hearted　men　will　not　go；　I　at　my

age；　and　weak　as　I　am　with　all　that　I　have　suffered；　will　go　myself。〃



〃Good；〃　said　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　〃that　is　the　best　way　out　of　it。　　You　will

soon　get　sick　of　the　journey；　Heer　Marais；　and　we　shall　see　no　more　of

the　stinkcat。〃



Marais　rose　in　a　resigned　fashion；　for　he　never　deigned　to　argue　with

Vrouw　Prinsloo；　who　was　too　many　for　him；　and　said：



〃Farewell；　Marie。　　If　I　do　not　return；　you　will　remember　my　wishes；　and

my　will　may　be　found　between　the　first　leaves　of　our　Holy　Book。　　Get　up；

Klaus；　and　guide　me　to　your　master；〃　and　he　administered　a　somewhat

vicious　kick　to　the　gorged　and　prostrate　Hottentot。



Now　Marie；　who　all　this　while　had　stood　silent；　touched　me　on　the

shoulder　and　said：



〃Allan；　is　it　well　that　my　father　should　go　alone？　　Will　you　not

accompany　him？〃



〃Of　course；〃　I　answered　cheerfully；　〃on　such　a　business　there　should　be

two；　and　some　Kaffirs　also　to　carry　the　man；　if　he　still　lives。〃



Now　for　the　end　of　the　story。　　As　the　Hottentot　Klaus　was　too　exhausted

to　move　that　night；　it　was　arranged　that　we　should　start　at　dawn。　

Accordingly；　I　rose　before　the　light；　and　was　just　finishing　my

breakfast　when　Marie　appeared　at　the　wagon　in　which　I　slept。　　I　got　up

to　greet　her；　and；　there　being　no　one　in　sight；　we　kissed　each　other

several　times。



〃Have　done；　my　heart；〃　she　said；　pushing　me　away。　　〃I　come　to　you　from

my　father；　who　is　sick　in　his　stomach　and　would　see　you。〃



〃Which　means　that　I　shall　have　to　go　after　your　cousin　alone；〃　I　replied

with　indignant　emphasis。



She　shook　her　head；　and　led　me　to　the　little　shanty　in　which　she　slept。　

Here　by　the　growing　light；　that　entered　through　the　doorway　for　it　had

no　window；　I　perceived　Marais　seated　upon　a　wooden　stool　with　his　hands

pressed　on　his　middle　and　groaning。



〃Good　morning；　Allan；〃　he　said　in　a　melancholy　voice；　〃I　am　ill；　very

ill；　something　that　I　have　eaten　perhaps；　or　a　chill　in　the　stomach；

such　as　often　precedes　fever　or　dysentery。〃



〃Perhaps　you　will　get　better　as　you　walk；　mynheer；〃　I　suggested；　for；　to

tell　the　truth；　I　misdoubted　me　of　this　chill；　and　knew　that　he　had

eaten　nothing　but　what　was　quite　wholesome。



〃Walk！　God　alone　knows　how　I　can　walk　with　something　gripping　my　inside

like　a　wagon…maker's　vice。　　Yet　I　will　try；　for　it　is　impossible　to

leave　that　poor　Hernan　to　die　alone；　and　if　I　do　not　go　to　seek　him；　it

seems　that　no　one　else　will。〃



〃Why　should　not　some　of　my　Kaffirs　go　with　Klaus？〃　I　asked。



〃Allan；〃　he　replied　solemnly；　〃if　you　were　dying　in　a　cave　far　from

help；　would　you　think　well　of　those　who　sent　ra