marie-第42章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



well　to　study　the　ground　before　a　battle。



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



〃Oh！　Allan；　what　will　be　the　end　of　this？〃　she　asked　piteously。　　High　as

was　her　courage　it　seemed　to　fail　her　now。



〃A　good　end；　dearest；〃　I　answered。　　〃We　shall　come　out　of　this　hole

safely；　as　we　have　of　many　others。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that；　Allan；　which　is　known　to　God　alone？〃



〃Because　God　told　me；　Marie；〃　and　I　repeated　to　her　the　story　of　the

voice　I　had　heard　in　my　dream；　which　seemed　to　comfort　her。



〃Yet；　yet；〃　she　exclaimed　doubtfully；　〃it　was　but　a　dream；　Allan；　and

dreams　are　such　uncertain　things。　　You　may　fail；　after　all。〃



〃Do　I　look　like　one　who　will　fail；　Marie？〃



She　studied　me　from　head　to　foot；　then　answered：



〃No；　you　do　not；　although　you　did　when　you　came　back　from　the　king's

huts。　　Now　you　are　quite　changed。　　Still；　Allan；　you　may　fail；　and

thenwhat？　　Some　of　those　dreadful　Zulus　have　been　here　while　you　were

sleeping；　bidding　us　all　make　ready　to　go　to　the　Hill　of　Death。　　They

say　that　Dingaan　is　in　earnest。　　If　you　do　not　kill　the　vultures；　he

will　kill　us。　　It　seems　that　they　are　sacred　birds；　and　if　they　escape

he　will　think　he　has　nothing　to　fear　from　the　white　men　and　their　magic；

and　so　will　make　a　beginning　by　butchering　us。　　I　mean　the　rest　of　us；

for　I　am　to　be　kept　alive；　and　oh！　what　shall　I　do；　Allan？〃



I　looked　at　her；　and　she　looked　at　me。　　Then　I　took　the　double…barrelled

pistol　out　of　my　pocket　and　gave　it　to　her。



〃It　is　loaded　and　on　the　half…cock；〃　I　said。



She　nodded；　and　hid　it　in　her　dress　beneath　her　apron。　　Then　without

more　words　we　kissed　and　parted；　for　both　of　us　feared　to　prolong　that

scene。





The　hill　Hloma　Amabutu　was　quite　close　to　our　encampment　and　the　huts　of

the　Reverend　Mr。　Owen；　scarcely　a　quarter　of　a　mile　off；　I　should　say；

rising　from　the　flat　veld　on　the　further　side　of　a　little　depression

that　hardly　amounted　to　a　valley。　　As　we　approached　it　I　noticed　its

peculiar　and　blasted　appearance；　for　whereas　all　around　the　grass　was

vivid　with　the　green　of　spring；　on　this　place　none　seemed　to　grow。　　An

eminence　strewn　with　tumbled　heaps　of　blackish　rock；　and　among　them　a

few　struggling；　dark…leaved　bushes；　that　was　its　appearance。　　Moreover；

many　of　these　boulders　looked　as　though　they　had　been　splashed　and　lined

with　whitewash；　showing　that　they　were　the　resting…place　of　hundreds　of

gorged　vultures。



I　believe　it　is　the　Chinese　who　declare　that　particular　localities　have

good　or　evil　influences　attached　to　them；　some　kind　of　spirit　of　their

own；　and　really　Hloma　Amabutu　and　a　few　other　spots　that　I　am　acquainted

with　in　Africa　give　colour　to　the　fancy。　　Certainly　as　I　set　foot　upon

that　accursed　ground；　that　Golgotha；　that　Place　of　Skulls；　a　shiver　went

through　me。　　It　may　have　been　caused　by　the　atmosphere；　moral　and

actual；　of　the　mount；　or　it　may　have　been　a　prescience　of　a　certain

dreadful　scene　which　within　a　few　months　I　was　doomed　to　witness　there。　

Or　perhaps　the　place　itself　and　the　knowledge　of　the　trial　before　me

sent　a　sudden　chill　through　my　healthy　blood。　　I　cannot　say　which　it

was；　but　the　fact　remains　as　I　have　stated；　although　a　minute　or　two

later；　when　I　saw　what　kind　of　sleepers　lay　upon　that　mount；　it　would

not　have　been　necessary　for　me　to　seek　any　far…fetched　explanation　of　my

fear。



Across　this　hill；　winding　in　and　out　between　the　rough　rocks　that　lay

here；　there　and　everywhere　like　hailstones　after　a　winter　storm；　ran

sundry　paths。　　It　seems　that　the　shortest　road　to　various　places　in　the

neighbourhood　of　the　Great　Kraal　ran　over　it；　and　although　no　Zulu　ever

dared　to　set　foot　there　between　sun…set　and　rise；　in　the　daytime　they

used　these　paths　freely　enough。　　But　I　suppose　that　they　also　held　that

this　evil…omened　field　of　death　had　some　spirit　of　its　own；　some

invisible　but　imminent　fiend；　who　needed　to　be　propitiated；　lest　soon　he

should　claim　them　also。



This　was　their　method　of　propitiation；　a　common　one　enough；　I　believe；

in　many　lands；　though　what　may　be　its　meaning　I　cannot　tell。　　As　the

traveller　came　to　those　spots　where　the　paths　cut　across　each　other；　he

took　a　stone　and　threw　it　on　to　a　heap　that　had　been　accumulated　there

by　the　hands　of　other　travellers。　　There　were　many　such　heaps　upon　the

hill；　over　a　dozen；　I　think；　and　the　size　of　them　was　great。　　I　should

say　that　the　biggest　contained　quite　fifty　loads　of　stones；　and　the

smallest　not　fewer　than　twenty　or　thirty。



Now；　Hans；　although　he　had　never　set　foot　there　before；　seemed　to　have

learned　all　the　traditions　of　the　place；　and　what　rites　were　necessary

to　avert　its　curse。　　At　any　rate；　when　we　came　to　the　first　heap；　he

cast　a　stone　upon　it；　and　begged　me　to　do　the　same。　　I　laughed　and

refused；　but　when　we　reached　the　second　heap　the　same　thing　happened。　

Again　I　refused；　whereon；　before　we　came　to　a　third　and　larger　pile；

Hans　sat　down　upon　the　ground　and　began　to　groan；　swearing　that　he　would

not　go　one　step　farther　unless　I　promised　to　make　the　accustomed

offering。



〃Why　not；　you　fool？〃　I　asked。



〃Because　if　you　neglect　it；　baas；　I　think　that　we　shall　stop　here　for

ever。　　Oh！　you　may　laugh；　but　I　tell　you　that　already　you　have　brought

ill…luck　upon　yourself。　　Remember　my　words；　baas；　when　you　miss　two　of

the　five　aasvogels。〃



〃Bosh！〃　I　exclaimed；　or；　rather；　its　Dutch　equivalent。　　Still；　as　this

talk　of　missing　vultures　touched　me　nearly；　and　it　is　always　as　well　to

conform　to　native　prejudices；　at　the　next　and　two　subsequent　heaps　I

cast　my　stone　as　humbly　as　the　most　superstitious　Zulu　in　the　land。



By　this　time　we　had　reached　the　summit；　which　may　have　been　two　hundred

yards　long。　　It　was　hog…backed　in　shape；　with　a　kind　of　depression　in

the　middle　cleared　of　stones；　either　by　the　hand　of　man　or　nature；　and

not　unlike　a　large　circus　in　its　general　conformation。



Oh！　the　sight　that　met　my　eyes。　　All　about　lay　the　picked　and　scattered

bones　of　men　and　women；　many　of　them　broken　up　by　the　jaws　of　hyenas。　

Some　were　quite　fresh；　for　the　hair　still　clung　to　the　skulls；　others

blanched　and　old。　　But　new　or　ancient　there　must　have　been　hundreds　of

them。　　Moreover；　on　the　sides　of　the　hill　it　was　the　same　story；　though

there；　for　the　most　part；　the　bones　had　been　gathered　into　gleaming

heaps。　　No　wonder　that　the　vultures　loved　Hloma　Amabutu；　the　Place　of

Slaughter　of　the　bloody　Zulu　king。



Of　these　horrible　birds；　however；　at　the　moment　not　one　was　to　be　seen。　

As　there　had　been　no　execution　for　a　few　hours　they　were　seeking　their

food　elsewhere。　　Now；　for　my　own　purposes；　I　wanted　to　see　them；　since

otherwise　my　visit　was　in　vain；　and　presently　bethought　myself　of　a

method　of　securing　their　arrival。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃I　am　going　to　pretend　to　kill　you；　and　then　you　must

lie　quite　still　out　there　like　one　dead。　　Even　if　the　aasvogels　settle

on　you；　you　must　lie　quite　still；　so　that　I　may　see　whence　they　come　and

how　they　settle。〃



The　Hottentot　did　not　take　at　all　kindly　to　this　suggestion。　　Indeed；　he

flatly　refused　to　obey　me；　giving　sundry　good　reasons。　　He　said　that

this　kind　of　rehearsal　was　ill…omened；　that　coming　events　have　a　way　of

casting　their　shadow　before；　and　he　did　not　wish　to　furnish　the　event。　

He　said　that　the　Zulus　declared　that　the　sacred　aasvogels　of　Hloma

Amabutu　were　as　savage　as　lions；　and　that　when　once　they　saw　a　man　down

they　would　tear　him　to　pieces；　dead　or　living。　　In　short；　Hans　and　I

came　to　ail　acute　difference　of　opinion。　　As　for　every　reason　it　was

necessary　that　my　view　should　prevail；　however；　I　did　not　hesitate　to

put　matters　to　him　very　plainly。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　to　be　a　bait　for　vultures；　choose　if　you　will

be　a　live　bait　or　a　dead　bait；〃　and　I　cocked　the　rifle　significantly；

although；　in　truth；　the　last　thing　that　I　wished　or　intended　to　do　was

to　shoot　my　faithful　old　Hottentot　fr