marie-第43章

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to　shoot　my　faithful　old　Hottentot　friend。　　But　Hans；　knowing　all　I　had

at　stake；　came　to　a　different　conclusion。



〃Allemachte！　baas；〃　he　said；　〃I　understand；　and　I　do　not　blame　you。　

Well；　if　I　obey　alive；　perhaps　my　guardian　Snake〃　（or　spirit）　〃will

protect　me　from　the　evil　omen；　and　perhaps　the　aasvogels　will　not　pick

out　my　eyes。　　But　if　once　you　send　a　bullet　through　my　stomachwhy；

then　everything　is　finished；　and　for　Hans　it　is　'Good　night；　sleep

well。'　　I　will　obey　you；　baas；　and　lie　where　you　wish；　only；　I　pray　you；

do　not　forget　me　and　go　away；　leaving　me　with　those　devil　birds。〃



I　promised　him　faithfully　that　I　would　not。　　Then　we　went　through　a　very

grim　little　pantomime。　　Proceeding　to　the　centre　of　the　arena…like

space；　I　lifted　the　gun；　and　appeared　to　dash　out　Hans'　brains　with　its

butt。　　He　fell　upon　his　back；　kicked　about　a　little；　and　lay　still。　

This　finished　Act　1。



Act　2　was　that；　capering　like　a　brute　of　a　Zulu　executioner；　I　retired

from　my　victim　and　hid　myself　in　a　bush　on　the　edge　of　the　plateau　at　a

distance　of　forty　yards。　　After　this　there　was　a　pause。　　The　place　was

intensely　bright　with　sunshine　and　intensely　silent；　as　silent　as　the

skeletons　of　the　murdered　men　about　me；　as　silent　as　Hans；　who　lay　there

looking　so　very　small　and　dead　in　that　big　theatre　where　no　grass　grew。　

It　was　an　eerie　wait　in　such　surroundings；　but　at　length　the　curtain

rang　up　for　Act　3。



In　the　infinite　arch　of　blue　above　me　I　perceived　a　speck；　no　larger

than　a　mote　of　dust。　　The　aasvogel　on　watch　up　there　far　out　of　the

range　of　man's　vision　had　seen　the　deed；　and；　by　sinking　downwards；

signalled　it　to　his　companions　that　were　quartering　the　sky　for　fifty

miles　round；　for　these　birds　prey　by　sight；　not　by　smell。　　Down　he　came

and　down；　and　long　before　he　had　reached　the　neighbourhood　of　earth

other　specks　appeared　in　the　distant　blue。　　Now　he　was　not　more　than

four　or　five　hundred　yards　above　me；　and　began　to　wheel；　floating　round

the　place　upon　his　wide　wings；　and　sinking　as　he　wheeled。　　So　he　sank

softly　and　slowly　until　he　was　about　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet　above

Hans。　　Then　suddenly　he　paused；　hung　quite　steady　for　a　few　seconds；

shut　his　wings　and　fell　like　a　bolt；　only　opening　them　again　just　before

he　reached　the　earth。



Here　he　settled；　tilting　forward　in　that　odd　way　which　vultures　have；

and　scrambling　a　few　awkward　paces　until　he　gained　his　balance。　　Then　he

froze　into　immobility；　gazing　with　in　awful；　stony　glare　at　the

prostrate　Hans；　who　lay　within　about　fifteen　feet　of　him。　　Scarcely　was

this　aasvogel　down；　when　others；　summoned　from　the　depths　of　sky；　did　as

he　had　done。　　They　appeared；　they　sank；　they　wheeled；　always　from　east

to　west；　the　way　the　sun　travels。　　They　hovered　for　a　few　seconds；　then

fell　like　stones；　pitched　on　to　their　beaks；　recovered　themselves；

waddled　forward　into　line；　and　sat　gazing　at　Hans。　　Soon　there　was　a

great　ring　of　them　about　him；　all　immovable；　all　gazing；　all　waiting　for

something。



Presently　that　something　appeared　in　the　shape　of　an　aasvogel　which　was

nearly　twice　as　big　as　any　of　the　others。　　This　was　what　the　Boers　and

the　natives　call　the　〃king　vulture；〃　one　of　which　goes　with　every　flock。

　He　it　is　who　rules　the　roost　and　also　the　carcase；　which　without　his

presence　and　permission　none　dare　to　attack。　　Whether　this　vile　fowl　is

of　a　different　species　from　the　others；　or　whether　he　is　a　bird　of　more

vigorous　growth　and　constitution　that　has　outgrown　the　rest　and　thus

become　their　overlord；　is　more　than　I　can　tell。　　At　least　it　is　certain；

as　I　can　testify　from　long　and　constant　observation；　that　almost　every

flock　of　vultures　has　its　king。



When　this　particular　royalty　had　arrived；　the　other　aasvogels；　of　which

perhaps　there　were　now　fifty　or　sixty　gathered　round　Hans；　began　to　show

signs　of　interested　animation。　　They　looked　at　the　king　bird；　they

looked　at　Hans；　stretching　out　their　naked　red　necks　and　winking　their

brilliant　eyes。　　I；　however；　did　not　pay　particular　attention　to　those

upon　the　earth；　being　amply　occupied　in　watching　their　fellows　in　the

air。



With　delight　I　observed　that　the　vulture　is　a　very　conservative

creature。　　They　all　did　what　doubtless　they　have　done　since　the　days　of

Adam　or　earlierwheeled；　and　then　hung　that　little　space　of　time　before

they　dropped　to　the　ground　like　lead。　　This；　then；　would　be　the　moment

at　which　to　shoot　them；　when　for　four　or　five　seconds　they　offered

practically　a　sitting　target。　　Now；　at　that　distance；　always　under　a

hundred　yards；　I　knew　well　that　I　could　hit　a　tea　plate　every　shot；　and

a　vulture　is　much　larger　than　a　tea　plate。　　So　it　seemed　to　me　that；

barring　accidents；　I　had　little　to　fear　from　the　terrible　trial　of　skill

which　lay　before　me。　　Again　and　again　I　covered　the　hovering　birds　with

my　rifle；　feeling　that　if　I　had　pressed　the　trigger　I　should　have

pierced　them　through。



Thinking　it　well　to　practise；　I　continued　this　game　for　a　long　while；

till　at　last　it　came　to　an　unexpected　end。　　Suddenly　I　heard　a　scuffling

sound。　　Dropping　my　glance　I　saw　that　the　whole　mob　of　aasvogels　were

rushing　in　upon　Hans；　helping　themselves　forward　by　flapping　their　great

wings；　and　that　about　three　feet　in　front　of　them　was　their　king。　　Next

instant　Hans　vanished；　and　from　the　centre　of　that　fluffy；　stinking　mass

there　arose　a　frightful　yell。



As　a　matter　of　fact；　as　I　found　afterwards；　the　king　vulture　had

fastened　on　to　his　snub　nose；　whilst　its　dreadful　companions；　having

seized　other　portions　of　his　frame；　were　beginning　to　hang　back　after

their　fashion　in　order　to　secure　some　chosen　morsel。　　Hans　kicked　and

screamed；　and　I　rushed　in　shouting；　causing　them　to　rise　in　a　great；

flapping　cloud　that　presently　vanished　this　way　and　that。　　Within　a

minute　they　had　all　gone；　and　the　Hottentot　and　I　were　left　alone。



〃That　is　good；〃　I　said。　　〃You　played　well。〃



〃Good！　baas；〃　he　answered；　〃and　I　with　two　cuts　in　my　nose　in　which　I

can　lay　my　finger；　and　bites　all　over　me。　　Look　how　my　trousers　are

torn。　　Look　at　my　headwhere　is　the　hair？　　Look　at　my　nose。　　Good！　

Played　well！　　It　is　those　verdomde　aasvogels　that　played。　　Oh！　baas；　if

you　had　seen　and　smelt　them；　you　would　not　say　that　it　was　good。　　See；

one　more　second　and　I；　who　have　two　nostrils；　should　have　had　four。〃



〃Never　mind；　Hans；〃　I　said；　〃it　is　only　a　scratch；　and　I　will　make　you　a

present　of　some　new　trousers。　　Also；　here　is　tobacco　for　you。　　Come　to

the　bush；　let　us　talk。〃



So　we　went；　and　when　Hans　was　a　little　composed　I　told　him　all　that　I

had　observed　about　the　habits　of　the　aasvogel　in　the　air；　and　he　told　me

all　that　he　had　observed　about　their　habits　on　the　ground；　which；　as　I

might　not　shoot　them　sitting；　did　not　interest　me。　　Still；　he　agreed

with　me　that　the　right　moment　to　fire　would　be　just　before　they　pounced。



Whilst　we　were　still　talking　we　heard　a　sound　of　shouts；　and；　looking

over　the　brow　of　the　hill　that　faced　towards　Umgungundhlovu；　we　saw　a

melancholy　sight。　　Being　driven　up　the　slope　towards　us　by　three

executioners　and　a　guard　of　seven　or　eight　soldiers；　their　hands　tied

behind　their　backs；　were　three　men；　one　very　old；　one　of　about　fifty

years　of　age；　and　one　a　lad；　who　did　not　look　more　than　eighteen。　　As　I

soon　heard；　they　were　of　a　single　family；　the　grandfather；　the　father；

and　the　eldest　son；　who　had　been　seized　upon　some　ridiculous　charge　of

witchcraft；　but　really　in　order　that　the　king　might　take　their　cattle。



Having　been　tried　and　condemned　by　the　Nyangas；　or　witch…doctors；　these

poor　wretches　were　now　doomed　to　die。　　Indeed；　not　content　with　thus

destroying　the　heads　of　the　tribe；　present　and　to　come；　for　three

generations；　all　their　descendants　and　collaterals　had　already　been

wiped　out　by　Dingaan；　so　that　he　might　pose　as　sole　heir　to　the　family

cattle。



Such　were　the　dreadful　cruelties　that　happened　in　Zululand　in　those

days。