marie-第39章

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Then　Kambula　rose　and　said：



〃O　king；　this　is　the　Son　of　George；　whom　you　commanded　me　to　capture。　　I

have　taken　him　and　the　Amaboona〃　（that　is；　the　Boers）；　〃his　companions；

and　brought　them　all　to　you；　O　king。〃



〃I　remember；〃　said　Dingaan。　　〃The　big　Boer　who　was　here；　and　whom

Tambusa〃he　was　one　of　Dingaan's　captains〃let　go　against　my　will；

said　that　be　was　a　terrible　man　who　should　be　killed　before　he　worked

great　harm　to　my　people。　　Why　did　you　not　kill　him；　Kambula；　although　it

is　true　he　does　not　look　very　terrible？〃



〃Because　the　king's　word　was　that　I　should　bring　him　to　the　king

living；〃　answered　Kambula。　　Then　he　added　cheerfully：　〃Still；　if　the

king　wishes　it；　I　can　kill　him　at　once。〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Dingaan　doubtfully；　〃perhaps　he　can　mend　guns。〃　

Next；　after　reflecting　a　while；　he　bade　a　shield…holder　to　fetch

someone；　I　could　not　hear　whom。



〃Doubtless；〃　thought　I　to　myself；　〃it　is　the　executioner；〃　and　at　that

thought　a　kind　of　mad　rage　seized　me。　　Why　should　my　life　be　ended　thus

in　youth　to　satisfy　the　whim　of　a　savage？　　And　if　it　must　be　so；　why

should　I　go　alone？



In　the　inside　pocket　of　my　ragged　coat　I　had　a　small　loaded　pistol　with

two　barrels。　　One　of　those　barrels　would　kill　Dingaanat　five　paces　I

could　not　miss　that　bulkand　the　other　would　blow　out　my　brains；　for　I

was　not　minded　to　have　my　neck　twisted　or　to　be　beaten　to　death　with

sticks。　　Well；　if　it　was　to　be　done；　I　had　better　do　it　at　once。　

Already　my　hand　was　creeping　towards　the　pocket　when　a　new　idea；　or

rather　two　ideas；　struck　me。



The　first　was　that　if　I　shot　Dingaan　the　Zulus　would　probably　massacre

Marie　and　the　othersMarie；　whose　sweet　face　I　should　never　see　again。　

The　second　was　that　while　there　is　life　there　is　hope。　　Perhaps；　after

all；　he　had　not　sent　for　an　executioner；　but　for　someone　else。　　I　would

wait。　　A　few　minutes　more　of　existence　were　worth　the　having。



The　shield…bearer　returned；　emerging　from　one　of　the　narrow；　reed…hedged

passages；　and　after　him　came　no　executioner；　but　a　young　white　man；　who；

as　I　knew　from　the　look　of　him；　was　English。　　He　saluted　the　king　by

taking　off　his　hat；　which　I　remember　was　stuck　round　with　black　ostrich

feathers；　then　stared　at　me。



〃O　Tho…maas〃　（that　is　how　he　pronounced　〃Thomas〃）；　said　Dingaan；　〃tell

me　if　this　boy　is　one　of　your　brothers；　or　is　he　a　Boer？〃



〃The　king　wants　to　know　if　you　are　Dutch　or　British；〃　said　the　white

lad；　speaking　in　English。



〃As　British　as　you　are；〃　I　answered。　　〃I　was　born　in　England；　and　come

from　the　Cape。〃



〃That　may　be　lucky　for　you；〃　he　said；　〃because　the　old　witch…doctor；

Zikali；　has　told　him　that　he　must　not　kill　any　English。　　What　is　your

name？　　Mine　is　Thomas　Halstead。　　I　am　interpreter　here。〃



〃Allan　Quatermain。　　Tell　Zikali；　whoever　he　may　be；　that　if　he　sticks　to

his　advice　I　will　give　him　a　good　present。〃



〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　asked　Dingaan　suspiciously。



〃He　says　he　is　English；　no　Boer；　O　king；　that　he　was　born　across　the

Black　Water；　and　that　he　comes　from　the　country　out　of　which　all　the

Boers　have　trekked。〃



At　this　intelligence　Dingaan　pricked　up　his　ears。



〃Then　he　can　tell　me　about　these　Boers；〃　he　said；　〃and　what　they　are

after；　or　could　if　he　were　able　to　speak　my　tongue。　　I　do　not　trust　you

to　interpret；　you　Tho…maas；　whom　I　know　to　be　a　liar；〃　and　he　glowered

at　Halstead。



〃I　can　speak　your　tongue；　though　not　very　well；　O　king；〃　I　interrupted；

〃and　I　can　tell　you　all　about　the　Boers；　for　I　have　lived　among　them。〃



〃Ow！〃　said　Dingaan；　intensely　interested。　　〃But　perhaps　you　are　also　a

liar。　　Or　are　you　a　praying　man；　like　that　fool　yonder；　who　is　named

Oweena？〃he　meant　the　missionary　Mr。　Owen〃　whom　I　spare　because　it　is

not　lucky　to　kill　one　who　is　mad；　although　he　tries　to　frighten　my

soldiers　with　tales　of　a　fire　into　which　they　will　go　after　they　are

dead。　　As　though　it　matters　what　happens　to　them　after　they　are　dead！〃

he　added　reflectively；　taking　a　pinch　of　snuff。



〃I　am　no　liar；〃　I　answered。　　〃What　have　I　to　lie　about？〃



〃You　would　lie　to　save　your　own　life；　for　all　white　men　are　cowards；　not

like　the　Zulus；　who　love　to　die　for　their　king。　　But　how　are　you　named？〃



〃Your　people　call　me　Macumazahn。〃



〃Well；　Macumazahn；　if　you　are　no　liar；　tell　me；　is　it　true　that　these

Boers　rebelled　against　their　king　who　was　named　George；　and　fled　from

him　as　the　traitor　Umsilikazi　did　from　me？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　〃that　is　true。〃



〃Now　I　am　sure　that　you　are　a　liar；〃　said　Dingaan　triumphantly。　　〃You

say　that　you　are　English　and　therefore　serve　your　king；　or　the


Inkosikaas〃　（that　is　the　Great　Lady）；　〃who　they　tell　me　now　sits　in　his

place。　　How　does　it　come　about　then　that　you　are　travelling　with　a　party

of　these　very　Amaboona　who　must　be　your　enemies；　since　they　are　the

enemies　of　your　king；　or　of　her　who　follows　after　him？〃



Now　I　knew　that　I　was　in　a　tight　place；　for　on　this　matter　of　loyalty；

Zulu；　and　indeed　all　native　ideas；　are　very　primitive。　　If　I　said　that　I

had　sympathy　with　the　Boers；　Dingaan　would　set　me　down　as　a　traitor。　　If

I　said　that　I　hated　the　Boers；　then　still　I　should　be　a　traitor　because

I　associated　with　them；　and　a　traitor　in　his　eyes　would　be　one　to　be

killed。　　I　do　not　like　to　talk　religion；　and　anyone　who　has　read　what　I

have　written　in　various　works　will　admit　that　I　have　done　so　rarely；　if

ever。　　Yet　at　that　moment　I　put　up　a　prayer　for　guidance；　feeling　that

my　young　life　hung　upon　the　answer；　and　it　came　to　mewhence　I　do　not

know。　　The　essence　of　that　guidance　was　that　I　should　tell　the　simple

truth　to　this　fat　savage。　　So　I　said　to　him：



〃The　answer　is　this；　O　king。　　Among　those　Boers　is　a　maiden　whom　I　love

and　who　betrothed　herself　to　me　since　we　were　'so　high。'　　Her　father

took　her　north。　　But　she　sent　a　message　to　me　saying　that　her　people

died　of　fever　and　she　starved。　　So　I　went　up　in　a　ship　to　save　her；　and

have　saved　her；　and　those　who　remained　alive　of　her　people　with　her。〃



〃Ow！〃　said　Dingaan；　〃I　understand　that　reason。　　It　is　a　good　reason。　

However　many　wives　he　may　have；　there　is　no　folly　that　a　man　will　not

commit　for　the　sake　of　some　particular　girl　who　is　not　yet　his　wife。　　I

have　done　as　much　myself；　especially　for　one　who　was　called　Nada　the

Lily；　of　whom　a　certain　Umslopogaas　robbed　me；　one　of　my　own　blood　of

whom　I　am　much　afraid。〃*



＇*See　the　Author's　book　named　〃Nada　the　Lily。〃＇



For　a　while　he　brooded　heavily；　then　went　on：



〃Your　reason　is　good；　Macumazahn；　and　I　accept　it。　　More；　I　promise　you

this。　　Perhaps　I　shall　kill　these　Boers；　or　perhaps　I　shall　not　kill

them。　　But　if　I　make　up　my　mind　to　kill　them；　this　girl　of　yours　shall


be　spared。　　Point　her　out　to　Kambula　herenot　to　Tho…maas；　for　he　is　a

liar　and　would　tell　me　the　wrong　oneand　she　shall　be　spared。〃



〃I　thank　you；　O　king；〃　I　said；　〃but　what　is　the　use　of　that　if　I　am　to

be　killed？〃



〃I　did　not　say　that　you　were　to　be　killed；　Macumazahn；　though　perhaps　I

shall　kill　you；　or　perhaps　I　shall　not　kill　you。　　It　depends　upon

whether　I　find　you　to　be　a　liar；　or　not　a　liar。　　Now　the　Boer　whom

Tambusa　let　go　against　my　wish　said　that　you　are　a　mighty　magician　as

well　as　a　very　dangerous　man；　one　who　can　shoot　birds　flying　on　the　wing

with　a　bullet；　which　is　impossible。　　Can　you　do　so？〃



〃Sometimes；〃　I　answered。



〃Very　good；　Macumazahn。　　Now　we　will　see　if　you　are　a　wizard　or　a　liar。　

I　will　make　a　bet　with　you。　　Yonder　by　your　camp　is　a　hill　called　'Hloma

Amabutu；'　a　hill　of　stones　where　evildoers　are　slain。　　This　afternoon

some　wicked　ones　die　there；　and　when　they　are　dead　the　vultures　will

come　to　devour　them。　　Now　this　is　my　bet　with　you。　　When　those　vultures

come　you　shall　shoot　at　them；　and　if　you　kill　three　out　of　the　first

five　on　the　wingnot　on　the　ground；　Macumazahnthen　I　will　spare　these

Boers。　　But　if　you　miss　them；　then　I　shall　know　that　you