marie-第35章

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for　as　none　of　the　Boers　would　help　him　I　assisted　Pereira　to　break　in

the　cattle　he　bought；　and　even　consented　when　he　asked　me　to　give　him

the　services　of　two　of　the　Zulus　whom　I　had　hired。



All　these　preparations　took　a　long　while。　　If　I　remember　right；　twelve

more　days　had　gone　by　before　Pereira　finally　trekked　off　from　Marais's

camp；　by　which　time　he　was　quite　well　and　strong　again。



We　all　assembled　to　see　the　start；　and　Marais　offered　up　a　prayer　for

his　nephew's　safe　journey　and　our　happy　meeting　again　in　Natal　at　the

laager　of　Retief；　which　was　to　be　our　rendezvous；　if　that　leader　were

still　in　Natal。　　No　one　else　joined　in　the　prayer。　　Only　Vrouw　Prinsloo

audibly　added　another　of　her　own。　　It　was　to　the　effect　that　he　might

not　come　back　a　second　time；　and　that　she　might　never　see　his　face

again；　either　at　Retief's　laager　or　anywhere　else；　if　it　would　please

the　good　Lord　so　to　arrange　matters。



The　Boers　tittered；　even　the　Meyer　children　tittered；　for　by　this　time

the　hatred　of　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　for　Hernan　Pereira　was　the　joke　of　the

place。　　But　Pereira　himself　pretended　not　to　hear；　said　good…bye　to　us

all　affectionately；　adding　a　special　petition　for　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；

and　off　we　went。



I　say　〃we　went〃　because　with　my　usual　luck；　to　help　him　with　the

half…broken　oxen；　I　was　commandeered　to　accompany　this　man　to　his　first

outspan；　a　place　with　good　water　about　twelve　miles　from　the　camp；　where

he　proposed　to　remain　for　the　night。



Now；　as　we　started　about　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　the　veld　was

fairly　level；　I　expected　that　we　should　reach　this　outspan　by　three　or

four　in　the　afternoon；　which　would　give　me　time　to　walk　back　before

sunset。　　In　fact；　however；　so　many　accidents　happened　of　one　sort　or

another；　both　to　the　wagon　itself；　of　which　the　woodwork　had　shrunk　with

long　standing　in　the　sun；　and　to　the　cattle；　which；　being　unused　to　the

yoke；　tied　themselves　in　a　double　knot　upon　every　opportunity；　that　we

only　arrived　there　at　the　approach　of　night。



The　last　mile　of　that　trek　was　through　a　narrow　gorge　cut　out　by　water

in　the　native　rock。　　Here　trees　grew　sparsely；　also　great　ferns；　but　the

bottom　of　the　gorge；　along　which　game　were　accustomed　to　travel；　was

smooth　enough　for　wagons；　save　for　a　few　fallen　boulders；　which　it　was

necessary　to　avoid。



When　at　length　we　reached　the　outspan　I　asked　the　Hottentot；　Klaus；　who

was　assisting　me　to　drive　the　team；　where　his　master　was；　for　I　could

not　see　him　anywhere。　　He　answered　that　he　had　gone　back　down　the　kloof

to　look　for　something　that　had　fallen　from　the　wagon；　a　bolt　I　think　he

said。



〃Very　good；〃　I　replied。　　〃Then　tell　him；　if　we　do　not　meet；　that　I　have

returned　to　the　camp。〃



As　I　set　out　the　sun　was　sinking　below　the　horizon；　but　this　did　not

trouble　me　overmuch；　as　I　had　a　rifle　with　me；　that　same　light　rifle

with　which　I　had　shot　the　geese　in　the　great　match。　　Also　I　knew　that

the　moon；　being　full；　would　be　up　presently。



The　sun　sank；　and　the　kloof　was　plunged　in　gloom。　　The　place　seemed

eerie　and　lonesome；　and　suddenly　I　grew　afraid。　　I　began　to　wonder　where

Pereira　was；　and　what　he　might　be　doing。　　I　even　thought　of　turning　back

and　finding　some　way　round；　only　having　explored　all　this　district

pretty　thoroughly　in　my　various　shooting　expeditions　from　the　camp；　I

knew　there　was　no　practicable　path　across　those　hills。　　So　I　went　on

with　my　rifle　at　full　cock；　whistling　to　keep　up　my　courage；　which；　of

course；　in　the　circumstances　was　a　foolish　thing　to　do。　　It　occurred　to

me　at　the　time　that　it　was　foolish；　but；　in　truth；　I　would　not　give　way

to　the　dark　suspicions　which　crossed　my　mind。　　Doubtless　by　now　Pereira

had　passed　me　and　reached　the　outspan。



The　moon　began　to　shinethat　wonderful　African　moon；　which　turns　night

to　daythrowing　a　network　of　long；　black　shadows　of　trees　and　rocks

across　the　game　track　I　was　following。　　Right　ahead　of　me　was　a

particularly　dark　patch　of　this　shadow；　caused　by　a　projecting　wall　of

cliff；　and　beyond　it　an　equally　bright　patch　of　moonlight。　　Somehow　I

misdoubted　me　of　that　stretch　of　gloom；　for　although；　of　course；　I　could

see　nothing　there；　my　quick　ear　caught　the　sound　of　movements。



I　halted　for　a　moment。　　Then；　reflecting　that　these　were　doubtless

caused　by　some　night…walking　creature；　which；　even　should　it　chance　to

be　dangerous；　would　flee　at　the　approach　of　man；　I　plunged　into　it

boldly。　　As　I　emerged　at　the　other　endthe　shadow　was　eighteen　or

twenty　paces　longit　occurred　to　me　that　if　any　enemy　were　lurking

there；　I　should　be　an　easy　target　as　I　entered　the　line　of　clear　light。　

So；　almost　instinctively；　for　I　do　not　remember　that　I　reasoned　the

thing　out；　after　my　first　two　steps　forward　in　the　light　I　gave　a　little

spring　to　the　left；　where　there　was　still　shadow；　although　it　was　not

deep。　　Well　was　it　for　me　that　I　did　so；　for　at　that　moment　I　felt

something　touch　my　cheek　and　heard　the　loud　report　of　a　gun　immediately

behind　me。



Now；　the　wisest　course　would　have　been　for　me　to　run　before　whoever　had

fired　found　time　to　reload。　　But　a　kind　of　fury　seized　me；　and　run　I

would　not。　　On　the　contrary；　I　turned　with　a　shout；　and　charged　back

into　the　shadow。　　Something　heard　me　coming；　something　fled　in　front　of

me。　　In　a　few　seconds　we　were　out　into　the　moonlight　beyond；　and；　as　I

expected；　I　saw　that　this　something　was　a　manPereira！



He　halted　and　wheeled　round；　lifting　the　stock　of　his　gun；　club　fashion。



〃Thank　God！　it　is　you；　Heer　Allan；〃　he　said；　〃I　thought　you　were　a

tiger。〃



〃Then　it　is　your　last　thought；　murderer；〃　I　answered；　raising　my　rifle。



〃Don't　shoot；〃　he　said。　　〃Would　you　have　my　blood　upon　you？　　Why　do　you

want　to　kill　me？〃



〃Why　did　you　try　to　kill　me？〃　I　answered；　covering　him。



〃I　try　to　kill　you！　　Are　you　mad？　　Listen；　for　your　own　sake。　　I　sat

down　on　the　bank　yonder　waiting　for　the　moon；　and；　being　tired；　fell

asleep。　　Then　I　woke　up　with　a　start；　and；　thinking　from　the　sounds　that

a　tiger　was　after　me；　fired　to　scare　it。　　Allemachte！　man；　if　I　had

aimed　at　you；　could　I　have　missed　at　that　distance？〃



〃You　did　not　quite　miss；　and　had　I　not　stepped　to　the　left；　you　would

have　blown　my　head　off。　　Say　your　prayers；　you　dog！〃



〃Allan　Quatermain；〃　he　exclaimed　with　desperate　energy；〃　you　think　I

lie；　who　speak　the　truth。　　Kill　me　if　you　will；　only　then　remember　that

you　will　hang　for　it。　　We　court　one　woman；　that　is　known；　and　who　will

believe　this　story　of　yours　that　I　tried　to　shoot　you？　　Soon　the　Kaffirs

will　come　to　look　for　me；　probably　they　are　starting　already；　and　will

find　my　body　with　your　bullet　in　my　heart。　　Then　they　will　take　it　back

to　Marais's　camp；　and　I　saywho　will　believe　your　story？〃



〃Some；　I　think；　murderer；〃　but　as　I　spoke　the　words　a　chill　of　fear

struck　me。　　It　was　true；　I　could　prove　nothing；　having　no　witnesses；　and

henceforward　I　should　be　a　Cain　among　the　Boers；　one　who　had　slain　a　man

for　jealousy。　　His　gun　was　empty；　yes；　but　it　might　be　said　that　I　had

fired　it　after　his　death。　　And　as　for　the　graze　upon　my　cheekwhy；　a

twig　might　have　caused　it。　　What　should　I　do；　then？　　Drive　him　before　me

to　the　camp；　and　tell　this　tale？　　Even　then　it　would　be　but　my　word

against　his。　　No；　he　had　me　in　a　forked　stick。　　I　must　let　him　go；　and

trust　that　Heaven　would　avenge　his　crime；　since　I　could　not。　　Moreover；

by　now　my　first　rage　was　cooling；　and　to　execute　a　man　thus



〃Hernan　Pereira；〃　I　said；　〃you　are　a　liar　and　a　coward。　　You　tried　to

butcher　me　because　Marie　loves　me　and　hates　you；　and　you　want　to　force

her　to　marry　you。　　Yet　I　cannot　shoot　you　down　in　cold　blood　as　you

deserve。　　I　leave　it　to　God　to　punish　you；　as；　soon　or　late；　He　will；

here　or　hereafter；　you　who　thought　to　slaughter　me　and　trust　to　the

hyenas　to　hide　your　crime；　as　they　would　have　done　before　morning。　　Get

you　gone　before　I　change　my　mind；　and　be　swift。〃



Without　anoth