marie-第40章

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Boers。　　But　if　you　miss　them；　then　I　shall　know　that　you　are　a　liar　and

no　wizard；　and　I　will　kill　them　every　one　on　the　hill　Hloma　Amabutu。　　I

will　spare　none　of　them　except　the　girl；　whom　perhaps　I　will　take　as　a

wife。　　As　to　you；　I　will　not　yet　say　what　I　will　do　with　you。〃



Now　my　first　impulse　was　to　refuse　this　monstrous　wager；　which　meant

that　the　lives　of　a　number　of　people　were　to　be　set　against　my　skill　in

shooting。　　But　young　Thomas　Halstead；　guessing　the　words　that　were　about

to　break　from　me；　said　in　English：



〃Accept　unless　you　are　a　fool。　　If　you　don't　he　will　cut　the　throats　of

every　one　of　them　and　stick　your　girl　into　the　emposeni〃　（that　is

harem）；　〃while　you　will　become　a　prisoner　as　I　am。〃



These　were　words　that　I　could　not　resent　or　neglect；　so　although　despair

was　in　my　heart；　I　said　coolly：



〃Be　it　so；　O　king。　　I　take　your　wager。　　If　I　kill　three　vultures　out　of

five　as　they　hover　over　the　hill；　then　I　have　your　promise　that　all

those　who　travel　with　me　shall　be　allowed　to　go　hence　in　safety。〃



〃Yes；　yes；　Macumazahn；　but　if　you　fail　to　kill　them；　remember　that　the

next　vultures　you　shoot　at　shall　be　those　that　come　to　feed　upon　their

flesh；　for　then　I　shall　know　that　you　are　no　magician；　but　a　common

liar。　　And　now　begone；　Tho…maas。　　I　will　not　have　you　spying　on　me；　and

you；　Macumazahn；　come　hither。　　Although　you　talk　my　tongue　so　badly；　I

would　speak　with　you　about　the　Boers。〃



So　Halstead　went；　shrugging　his　shoulders　and　muttering　as　he　passed　me：



〃I　hope　you　really　_can_　shoot。〃



After　he　had　left　I　sat　alone　for　a　full　hour　with　Dingaan　while　he

cross…examined　me　about　the　Dutch；　their　movements　and　their　aims　in

travelling　to　the　confines　of　his　country。



I　answered　his　questions　as　best　I　could；　trying　to　make　out　a　good　case

for　them。



At　length；　when　he　grew　weary　of　talking；　he　clapped　his　hands；　whereon

a　number　of　fine　girls　appeared；　two　of　whom　carried　pots　of　beer；　from

which　he　offered　me　drink。



I　replied　that　I　would　have　none；　since　beer　made　the　hand　shake　and

that　on　the　steadiness　of　my　hand　that　afternoon　depended　the　lives　of

many。　　To　do　him　justice　he　quite　understood　the　point。　　Indeed；　he

ordered　me　to　be　conducted　back　to　the　camp　at　once　that　I　might　rest；

and　even　sent　one　of　his　own　attendants　with　me　to　hold　a　shield　over　my

head　as　I　walked　so　that　I　should　be　protected　from　the　sun。



〃Hamba　gachle〃　（that　is　〃Go　softly〃）；　said　the　wicked　old　tyrant　to　me

as　I　departed　under　the　guidance　of　Kambula。　　〃This　afternoon；　one　hour

before　sundown；　I　will　meet　you　at　Hloma　Amabutu；　and　there　shall　be

settled　the　fate　of　these　Amaboona；　your　companions。〃





When　I　reached　the　camp　it　was　to　find　all　the　Boers　clustered　together

waiting　for　me；　and　with　them　the　Reverend　Mr。　Owen　and　his　people；

including　a　Welsh　servant　of　his；　a　woman　of　middle　age　who；　I　remember；

was　called　Jane。



〃Well；〃　said　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　〃and　what　is　your　news；　young　man？〃



〃My　news；　aunt；〃　I　answered；　〃is　that　one　hour　before　sundown　to…day　I

have　to　shoot　vultures　on　the　wing　against　the　lives　of　all　of　you。　

This　you　owe　to　that　false…hearted　hound　Hernan　Pereira；　who　told

Dingaan　that　I　am　a　magician。　　Now　Dingaan　would　prove　it。　　He　thinks

that　only　by　magic　can　a　man　shoot　soaring　vultures　with　a　bullet；　and

as　he　is　determined　to　kill　you　all；　except　perhaps　Marie；　in　the　form

of　a　bet　he　has　set　me　a　task　which　he　believes　to　be　impossible。　　If　I

fail；　the　bet　is　lost；　and　so　are　your　lives。　　If　I　succeed　I　think　your

lives　will　be　spared；　since　Kambula　there　tells　me　that　the　king　always

makes　it　a　point　of　honour　to　pay　his　bets。　　Now　you　have　the　truth；　and

I　hope　you　like　it；〃　and　I　laughed　bitterly。



When　I　had　finished　a　perfect　storm　of　execration　broke　from　the　Boers。　

If　curses　could　have　killed　Pereira；　surely　he　would　have　died　upon　the

spot；　wherever　he　might　be。　　Only　two　of　them　were　silent；　Marie；　who

turned　very　pale；　poor　girl；　and　her　father。　　Presently　one　of　them；　I

think　it　was　Meyer；　rounded　on　him　viciously　and　asked　him　what　he

thought　now　of　that　devil；　his　nephew。



〃I　think　there　must　be　some　mistake；〃　answered　Marais　quietly；　〃since

Hernan　cannot　have　wished　that　we　should　all　be　put　to　death。〃



〃No；〃　shouted　Meyer；　〃but　he　wished　that　Allan　Quatermain　should；　which

is　just　as　bad；　and　now　it　has　come　about　that　once　more　our　lives

depend　upon　this　English　boy。〃



〃At　any　rate；〃　replied　Marais；　looking　at　me　oddly；　〃it　seems　that　he　is

not　to　be　killed；　whether　he　shoots　the　vultures　or　misses　them。〃



〃That　remains　to　be　proved；　mynheer；〃　I　answered　hotly；　for　the

insinuation　stung　me。　　〃But　please　understand　that　if　all　of　you；　my

companions；　are　to　be　slaughtered；　and　Marie　is　to　be　put　among　this

black　brute's　women；　as　he　threatens；　I　have　no　wish　to　live　on。〃



〃My　God！　does　he　threaten　that？〃　said　Marais。　　〃Surely　you　must　have

misunderstood　him；　Allan。〃



〃Do　you　think　that　I　should　lie　to　you　on　such　a　matter〃　I　began。



But；　before　I　could　proceed；　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　thrust　herself　between

us；　crying：



〃Be　silent；　you；　Marais；　and　you　too；　Allan。　　Is　this　a　time　that　you

should　quarrel　and　upset　yourself；　Allan；　so　that　when　the　trial　comes

you　will　shoot　your　worst　and　not　your　best？　　And　is　this　a　time；　Henri

Marais；　that　you　should　throw　insults　at　one　on　whom　all　our　lives　hang；

instead　of　praying　for　God's　vengeance　upon　your　accursed　nephew？　　Come；

Allan；　and　take　food。　　I　have　fried　the　liver　of　that　heifer　which　the

king　sent　us；　it　is　ready　and　very　good。　　After　you　have　eaten　it　you

must　lie　down　and　sleep　a　while。〃



Now　among　the　household　of　the　Reverend　Mr。　Owen　was　an　English　boy

called　William　Wood；　who　was　not　more　than　twelve　or　fourteen　years　of

age。　　This　lad　knew　both　Dutch　and　Zulu；　and　acted　as　interpreter　to　the

Owen　family　during　the　absence　on　a　journey　of　a　certain　Mr。　Hulley；　who

really　filled　that　office。　　While　this　conversation　was　taking　place　in

Dutch　he　was　engaged　in　rendering　every　word　of　it　into　English　for　the

benefit　of　the　clergyman　and　his　family。　　When　Mr。　Owen　understood　the

full　terror　of　the　situation；　he　broke　in　saying：



〃This　is　not　a　time　to　eat　or　to　sleep；　but　a　time　to　pray　that　the

heart　of　the　savage　Dingaan　may　be　turned。　　Come；　let　us　pray！〃



〃Yes；〃　rejoined　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　when　William　Wood　had　translated。　　〃Do

you　pray；　Predicant；　and　all　the　rest　of　you　who　have　nothing　else　to

do；　and　while　you　are　about　it　pray　also　that　the　bullets　of　Allan

Quatermain　may　not　be　turned。　　As　for　me　and　Allan；　we　have　other　things

to　see　to；　so　you　must　pray　a　little　harder　to　cover　us　as　well　as

yourselves。　　Now　you　come　along；　nephew　Allan；　or　that　liver　may　be

overdone　and　give　you　indigestion；　which　is　worse　for　shooting　than　even

bad　temper。　　No；　not　another　word。　　If　you　try　to　speak　any　more；　Henri

Marais；　I　will　box　your　ears；〃　and　she　lifted　a　hand　like　a　leg　of

mutton；　then；　as　Marais　retreated　before　her；　seized　me　by　the　collar　as

though　I　were　a　naughty　boy　and　led　me　away　to　the　wagons。







CHAPTER　XIII









THE　REHEARSAL











By　the　women's　wagon　we　found　the　liver　cooked　in　its　frying…pan；　as　the

vrouw　had　said。　　Indeed；　it　was　just　done　to　a　turn。　　Selecting　a

particularly　massive　slice；　she　proceeded　to　take　it　from　the　pan　with

her　fingers　in　order　to　set　it　upon　a　piece　of　tin；　from　which　she　had

first　removed　the　more　evident　traces　of　the　morning　meal　with　her

constant　companion；　the　ancient　and　unwashen　vatdoek。　　As　it　chanced　the

effort　was　not　very　successful；　since　the　boiling　liver　fat　burnt　the

vrouw's　fingers；　causing　her　to　drop　it　on　the　grass；　and；　I　am　sorry　to

add；　to　swear　as　well。　　Not　to　be　defeated；　however；　having　first　sucked

her　fingers　to　ease　their　smart；　she　seized　the　sizzling　liver　with　the

vatdoek　and　depos