marie-第41章

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

vatdoek　and　deposited　it　upon　the　dirty　tin。



〃There；　nephew；〃　she　said　triumphantly；　〃there　are　more　ways　of　killing

a　cat　than　by　drowning。　　What　a　fool　I　was　not　to　think　of　the　vatdoek

at　first。　　Allemachte！　how　the　flesh　has　burnt　me；　I　don't　suppose　that

being　killed　would　hurt　much　more。　　Also；　if　the　worst　comes　to　the

worst；　it　will　soon　be　over。　　Think　of　it；　Allan；　by　to…night　I　may　be

an　angel；　dressed　in　a　long　white　nightgown　like　those　my　mother　gave　me

when　I　was　married；　which　I　cut　up　for　baby…clothes　because　I　found　them

chilly　wear；　having　always　been　accustomed　to　sleep　in　my　vest　and

petticoat。　　Yes；　and　I　shall　have　wings；　too；　like　those　on　a　white

gander；　only　bigger　if　they　are　to　carry　_my_　weight。〃



〃And　a　crown　of　Glory；〃　I　suggested。



〃Yes；　of　course；　a　crown　of　Gloryvery　large；　since　I　shall　be　a

martyr；　but　I　hope　one　will　only　have　to　wear　it　on　Sundays；　as　I　never

could　bear　anything　heavy　on　my　hair；　moreover；　it　would　remind　me　of　a

Kaffir's　head…ring　done　in　gold；　and　I　shall　have　had　enough　of　Kaffirs。

　Then　there　will　be　the　harp；〃　she　went　on　as　her　imagination　took　fire

at　the　prospect　of　these　celestial　delights。　　〃Have　you　ever　seen　a

harp；　Allan？　　I　haven't　except　that　which　King　David　carries　in　the

picture　in　the　Book；　which　looks　like　a　broken　rimpi　chair　frame　set　up

edgeways。　　As　for　playing　the　thing；　they　will　have　to　teach　me；　that's

all；　which　will　be　a　difficult　business；　seeing　that　I　would　sooner

listen　to　cats　on　the　roof　than　to　music；　and　as　for　making　it〃



So　she　chattered　on；　as　I　believe　with　the　object　of　diverting　and

amusing　me；　for　she　was　a　shrewd　old　soul　who　knew　how　important　it　was

that　I　should　be　kept　in　an　equable　frame　of　mind　at　this　crisis　in　our

fates。



Meanwhile　I　was　doing　my　best　with　the　lump　of　liver；　that　tasted

painfully　of　vatdoek　and　was　gritty　with　sand。　　Indeed；　when　the　vrouw's

back　was　turned　I　managed　to　throw　the　most　of　it　to　Hans　behind　me；　who

swallowed　it　at　a　gulp　as　a　dog　does；　since　he　did　not　wish　to　be　caught

chewing　it。



〃God　in　heaven！　how　fast　you　eat；　nephew；〃　said　the　vrouw；　catching

sight　of　my　empty　tin。　　Then；　eyeing　the　voracious　Hottentot

suspiciously；　she　added：　〃That　yellow　dog　of　yours　hasn't　stolen　it；　has

he？　　If　so；　I'll　teach　him。〃



〃No；　no；　vrouw；〃　answered　Hans　in　alarm。　　〃No　meat　has　passed　my　lips

this　day；　except　what　I　licked　out　of　the　pan　after　breakfast。〃



〃Then；　Allan；　you　will　certainly　have　indigestion；　which　is　just　what　I

wanted　to　avoid。　　Have　I　not　often　told　you　that　you　should　chew　your

bit　twenty　times　before　you　swallow；　which　I　would　do　myself　if　I　had

any　back　teeth　left？　　Here；　drink　this　milk；　it　is　only　a　little　sour

and　will　settle　your　stomach；〃　and　she　produced　a　black　bottle　and

subjected　it　to　the　attentions　of　the　vatdoek；　growing　quite　angry　when

I　declined　it　and　sent　for　water。



Next　she　insisted　upon　my　getting　into　her　own　bed　in　the　wagon　to

sleep；　forbidding　me　to　smoke；　which　she　said　made　the　hand　shake。　

Thither；　then；　I　went；　after　a　brief　conversation　with　Hans；　whom　I

directed　to　clean　my　rifle　thoroughly。　　For　I　wished　to　be　alone　and

knew　that　I　had　little　chance　of　solitude　outside　of　that　somewhat　fusty

couch。



To　tell　the　truth；　although　I　shut　my　eyes　to　deceive　the　vrouw；　who

looked　in　occasionally　to　see　how　I　was　getting　on；　no　sleep　came　to　me

that　afternoonat　least；　not　for　a　long　while。　　How　could　I　sleep　in

that　hot　place　when　my　heart　was　torn　with　doubt　and　terror？　　Think　of

it；　reader；　think　of　it！　　An　hour　or　two；　and　on　my　skill　would　hang　the

lives　of　eight　white　peoplemen；　women；　and　children；　and　the　safety　or

the　utter　shame　of　the　woman　whom　I　loved　and　who　loved　me。　　No；　she

should　be　spared　the　worst。　　I　would　give　her　my　pistol；　and　if　there

were　need　she　would　know　what　to　do。



The　fearful　responsibility　was　more　than　I　could　bear。　　I　fell　into　a

veritable　agony；　I　trembled　and　even　wept　a　little。　　Then　I　thought　of

my　father　and　what　he　would　do　in　such　circumstances；　and　began　to　pray

as　I　had　never　prayed　before。



I　implored　the　Power　above　me　to　give　me　strength　and　wisdom；　not　to　let

me　fail　in　this　hour　of　trouble；　and　thereby　bring　these　poor　people　to

a　bloody　death。　　I　prayed　till　the　perspiration　streamed　down　my　face；

then　suddenly　I　fell　into　sleep　or　swoon。　　I　don't　know　how　long　I　lay

thus；　but　I　think　it　must　have　been　the　best　part　of　an　hour。　　At　last　I

woke　up　all　in　an　instant；　and　as　I　woke　I　distinctly　heard　a　tiny

voice；　unlike　any　other　voice　in　the　whole　world；　speak　inside　my　head；

or　so　it　seemed　to　me；　saying：



_〃Go　to　the　hill　Hloma　Amabutu；　and　watch　how　the　vultures　fly。　　Do　what

comes　into　your　mind；　and　even　if　you　seem　to　fail；　fear　nothing。〃_



I　sat　up　on　the　old　vrouw's　bed；　and　felt　that　some　mysterious　change

had　come　over　me。　　I　was　no　longer　the　same　man。　　My　doubts　and　terrors

had　gone；　my　hand　was　like　a　rock；　my　heart　was　light。　　I　knew　that　I

should　kill　those　three　vultures。　　Of　course　the　story　seems　absurd；　and

easy　to　be　explained　by　the　state　of　my　nerves　under　the　strain　which

was　being　put　upon　them；　and　for　aught　I　know　that　may　be　its　true

meaning。　　Yet　I　am　not　ashamed　to　confess　that　I　have　always　held；　and

still　hold；　otherwise。　　I　believe　that　in　my　extremity　some　kindly　Power

did　speak　to　me　in　answer　to　my　earnest　prayers　and　to　those　of　others；

giving　me　guidance　and；　what　I　needed　still　more；　judgment　and　calmness。

　At　any　rate；　that　this　was　my　conviction　at　the　moment　may　be　seen　from

the　fact　that　I　hastened　to　obey　the　teachings　of　that　tiny；　unnatural

voice。



Climbing　out　of　the　wagon；　I　went　to　Hans；　who　was　seated　near　by　in　the

full　glare　of　the　hot　sun；　at　which　he　seemed　to　stare　with　unblinking

eyes。



〃Where's　the　rifle；　Hans？〃　I　said。



〃Intombi　is　here；　baas；　where　I　have　put　her　to　keep　her　cool；　so　that

she　may　not　go　off　before　it　is　wanted；〃　and　he　pointed　to　a　little

grave…like　heap　of　gathered　grass　at　his　side。



The　natives；　I　should　explain；　named　this　particular　gun　〃Intombi〃；

which　means　a　young　girl；　because　it　was　so　much　slimmer　and　more

graceful　than　other　guns。



〃Is　it　clean？〃　I　asked。



〃Never　was　she　cleaner　since　she　was　born　out　of　the　fire；　baas。　　Also；

the　powder　has　been　sifted　and　set　to　dry　in　the　sun　with　the　caps；　and

the　bullets　have　been　trued　to　the　barrel；　so　that　there　may　be　no

accidents　when　it　comes　to　the　shooting。　　If　you　miss　the　aasvogels；

baas；　it　will　not　be　the　fault　of　Intombi　or　of　the　powder　and　the

bullets；　it　will　be　your　own　fault。〃



〃That's　comforting；〃　I　answered。　　〃Well；　come　on；　I　want　to　go　to　the

Death…hill　yonder。〃



〃Why；　baas；　before　the　time？〃　asked　the　Hottentot；　shrinking　back　a

little。　　〃It　is　no　place　to　visit　till　one　is　obliged。　　These　Zulus　say

that　ghosts　sit　there　even　in　the　daylight；　haunting　the　rocks　where

they　were　made　ghosts。〃



〃Vultures　sit　or　fly　there　also；　Hans；　and　I　would　see　how　they　fly；

that　I　may　know　when　and　where　to　shoot　at　them。〃



〃That　is　right；　baas；〃　said　the　clever　Hottentot。　　〃This　is　not　like

firing　at　geese　in　the　Groote　Kloof。　　The　geese　go　straight；　like　an

assegai　to　its　mark。　　But　the　aasvogels　wheel　round　and　round；　always　on

the　turn；　it　is　easy　to　miss　a　bird　that　is　turning；　baas。〃



〃Very　easy。　　Come　on。〃



Just　as　we　were　starting　Vrouw　Prinsloo　appeared　from　behind　the　other

wagon；　and　with　her　Marie；　who；　I　noticed；　was　very　pale　and　whose

beautiful　eyes　were　red；　as　though　with　weeping。



The　vrouw　asked　me　where　we　were　going。　　I　told　her。　　After　considering

a　little；　she　said　that　was　a　good　thought　of　mine；　as　it　was　always

well　to　study　the　ground　before　a　battle。



I　nodded；　and　led　Marie　aside　behind　some　thorn　trees　that　grew　near。



〃Oh！　Allan；