marie-第32章

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

help；　would　you　think　well　of　those　who　sent　raw　Kaffirs　to　succour　you

when　they　might　have　come　themselves；　Kaffirs　who　certainly　would　let

you　die　and　return　with　some　false　story？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　I　should　think；　Heer　Marais。　　But　I　do　know　that　if

_I_　were　in　that　cave　and　Pereira　were　in　this　camp；　neither　would　he

come　himself；　nor　so　much　as　send　a　savage　to　save　_me_。〃



〃It　may　be　so；　Allan。　　But　even　if　another's　heart　is　black；　should

yours　be　black　also？　　Oh！　I　will　come；　though　it　be　to　my　death；〃　and；

rising　from　the　stool　with　the　most　dreadful　groan；　he　began　to　divest

himself　of　the　tattered　blanket　in　which　he　was　wrapped　up。



〃Oh！　Allan；　my　father　must　not　go；　it　will　kill　him；〃　exclaimed　Marie；

who　took　a　more　serious　view　of　his　case　than　I　did。



〃Very　well；　if　you　think　so；〃　I　answered。　　〃And　now；　as　it　is　time　for

me　to　be　starting；　good…bye。〃



〃You　have　a　good　heart；　Allan；〃　said　Marais；　sinking　back　upon　his　stool

and　resuming　his　blanket；　while　Marie　looked　despairingly　first　at　one

and　then　at　the　other　of　us。



Half　an　hour　later　I　was　on　the　road　in　the　very　worst　of　tempers。



〃Mind　what　you　are　about；〃　called　Vrouw　Prinsloo　after　me。　　〃It　is　not

lucky　to　save　an　enemy；　and　if　I　know　anything　of　that　stinkcat；　he　will

bite　your　finger　badly　by　way　of　gratitude。　　Bah！　lad；　if　I　were　you　I

should　just　camp　for　a　few　days　in　the　bush；　and　then　come　back　and　say

that　I　could　find　nothing　of　Pereira　except　the　dead　hyenas　that　had

been　poisoned　by　eating　him。　　Good　luck　to　you　all　the　same；　Allan；　may

I　find　such　a　friend　in　need。　　It　seems　to　me　that　you　were　born　to　help

others。〃



Beside　the　Hottentot　Klaus；　my　companions　on　this　unwelcome　journey　were

three　of　the　Zulu　Kaffirs；　for　Hans　I　was　obliged　to　leave　in　charge　of

my　cattle　and　goods　with　the　other　men。　　Also；　I　took　a　pack…ox；　an

active　beast　that　I　had　been　training　to　carry　loads　and；　if　necessary　a

man；　although　as　yet　it　was　not　very　well　broken。



All　that　day　we　marched　over　extremely　rough　country；　till　at　last

darkness　found　us　in　a　mountainous　kloof；　where　we　slept；　surrounded　by

watch…fires　because　of　the　lions。　　Next　morning　at　the　first　light　we

moved　on　again；　and　about　ten　o'clock　waded　through　a　stream　to　a　little

natural　cave；　where　Klaus　said　he　had　left　his　master。　　This　cave　seemed

extremely　silent；　and；　as　I　hesitated　for　a　moment　at　its　mouth；　the

thought　crossed　my　mind　that　if　Pereira　were　still　there；　he　must　be

dead。　　Indeed；　do　what　I　would　to　suppress　it；　with　that　reflection　came

a　certain　feeling　of　relief　and　even　of　pleasure。　　For　well　I　knew　that

Pereira　alive　was　more　dangerous　to　me　than　all　the　wild　men　and　beasts

in　Africa　put　together。　　Thrusting　back　this　unworthy　sentiment　as　best

I　could；　I　entered　the　cave　alone；　for　the　natives；　who　dread　the

defilement　of　the　touch　of　a　corpse；　lingered　outside。



It　was　but　a　shallow　cavity　washed　out　of　the　overhanging　rock　by　the

action　of　water；　and　as　soon　as　my　eyes　grew　accustomed　to　its　gloom；　I

saw　that　at　the　end　of　it　lay　a　man。　　So　still　did　he　lie；　that　now　I

was　almost　certain　that　his　troubles　were　over。　　I　went　up　to　him　and

touched　his　face；　which　was　cold　and　clammy；　and　then；　quite　convinced；

turned　to　leave　the　place；　which；　I　thought；　if　a　few　rocks　were　piled

in　the　mouth　of　it；　would　make　an　excellent　sepulchre。



Just　as　I　stepped　out　into　the　sunlight；　and　was　about　to　call　to　the

men　to　collect　the　rocks；　however；　I　thought　that　I　heard　a　very　faint

groan　behind　me；　which　at　the　moment　I　set　down　to　imagination。　　Still；

I　returned；　though　I　did　not　much　like　the　job；　knelt　down　by　the

figure；　and　waited　with　my　hand　over　its　heart。　　For　five　minutes　or

more　I　stayed　here；　and　then；　quite　convinced；　was　about　to　leave　again

when；　for　the　second　time；　I　heard　that　faint　groan。　　Pereira　was　not

dead；　but　only　on　the　extreme　brink　of　death！



I　ran　to　the　entrance　of　the　cave；　calling　the　Kaffirs；　and　together　we

carried　him　out　into　the　sunlight。　　He　was　an　awful　spectacle；　mere　bone

with　yellow　skin　stretched　over　it；　and　covered　with　filth　and　clotted

blood　from　some　hurt。　　I　had　brandy　with　me；　of　which　I　poured　a　little

down　his　throat；　whereon　his　heart　began　to　beat　feebly。　　Then　we　made

some　soup；　and　poured　that　down　his　throat　with　more　brandy；　and　the　end

of　it　was　he　came　to　life　again。



For　three　days　did　I　doctor　that　man；　and　really　I　believe　that　if　at

any　time　during　those　days　I　had　relaxed　my　attentions　even　for　a　couple

of　hours；　he　would　have　slipped　through　my　fingers；　for　at　this　business

Klaus　and　the　Kaffirs　were　no　good　at　all。　　But　I　pulled　him　round；　and

on　the　third　morning　he　came　to　his　senses。　　For　a　long　while　he　stared

at　me；　for　I　had　laid　him　in　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　where　the　light　was

good；　although　the　overhanging　rocks　protected　him　from　the　sun。　　Then

he　said：



〃Allemachte！　you　remind　me　of　someone；　young　man。　　I　know。　　It　is　of

that　damned　English　boy　who　beat　me　at　the　goose　shooting；　and　made　me

quarrel　with　Oom　＇uncle＇　Retief；　the　jackanapes　that　Marie　was　so　fond

of。　　Well；　whoever　you　are；　you　can't　be　he；　thank　God。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；　Heer　Pereira；〃　I　answered。　　〃I　am　that　same　damned

young　English　jackanapes；　Allan　Quatermain　by　name；　who　beat　you　at

shooting。　　But　if　you　take　my　advice；　you　will　thank　God　for　something

else；　namely；　that　your　life　has　been　saved。〃



〃Who　saved　it？〃　he　asked。



〃If　you　want　to　know；　I　did；　I　have　been　nursing　you　these　three　days。〃



〃You；　Allan　Quatermain！　　Now；　that　is　strange；　for　certainly　I　would　not

have　saved　yours；〃　and　he　laughed　a　little；　then　turned　over　and　went　to

sleep。



From　that　time　forward　his　recovery　was　rapid；　and　two　days　later　we

began　our　journey　back　to　Marais's　camp；　the　convalescent　Pereira　being

carried　in　a　litter　by　the　four　natives。　　It　was　a　task　at　which　they

grumbled　a　good　deal；　for　the　load　was　heavy　over　rough　ground；　and

whenever　they　stumbled　or　shook　him　he　cursed　at　them。　　So　much　did　he

curse；　indeed；　that　at　length　one　of　the　Zulus；　a　man　with　a　rough

temper；　said　that　if　it　were　not　for　the　Inkoos；　meaning　myself；　he

would　put　his　assegai　through　him；　and　let　the　vultures　carry　him。　

After　this　Pereira　grew　much　more　polite。　　When　the　bearers　became

exhausted　we　set　him　on　the　pack…ox；　which　two　of　us　led；　while　the

other　two　supported　him　on　either　side。　　It　was　in　this　fashion　that　at

last　we　arrived　at　the　camp　one　evening。



Here　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　was　the　first　to　greet　us。　　We　found　her

standing　in　the　game　path　which　we　were　following；　quite　a　quarter　of　a

mile　from　the　wagons；　with　her　hands　set　upon　her　broad　hips　and　her

feet　apart。　　Her　attitude　was　so　defiant；　and　had　about　it　such　an　air

of　premeditation；　that　I　cannot　help　thinking　she　had　got　wind　of　our

return；　perhaps　from　having　seen　the　smoke　of　our　last　fires；　and　was

watching　for　us。　　Also；　her　greeting　was　warm。



〃Ah！　here　you　come；　Hernan　Pereira；〃　she　cried；　〃riding　on　an　ox；　while

better　men　walk。　　Well；　now；　I　want　a　chat　with　you。　　How　came　it　that

you　went　off　in　the　night；　taking　the　only　horse　and　all　the　powder？〃



〃I　went　to　get　help　for　you；〃　he　replied　sulkily。



〃Did　you；　did　you；　indeed！　　Well；　it　seems　that　it　was　you　who　wanted

the　help；　after　all。　　What　do　you　mean　to　pay　the　Heer　Allan　Quatermain

for　saving　your　life；　for　I　am　sure　he　has　done　so？　　You　have　got　no

goods　left；　although　you　were　always　boasting　about　your　riches；　they

are　now　at　the　bottom　of　a　river；　so　it　will　have　to　be　in　love　and

service。〃



He　muttered　something　about　my　wanting　no　payment　for　a　Christian　act。



〃No；　he　wants　no　payment；　Hernan　Pereira；　he　is　one　of　the　true　sort；

but　you'll　pay　him　all　the　same　and　in　bad　coin　if　you　get　the　chance。　

Oh！　I　have　come　out　to