marie-第44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！


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。







CHAPTER　XIV









THE　PLAY











The　doomed　three　were　driven　by　their　murderers　into　the　centre　of　the

depression；　within　a　few　yards　of　which　Hans　and　I　were　standing。



After　them　came　the　head　executioner；　a　great　brute　who　wore　a　curiously

shaped　leopard…skin　capI　suppose　as　a　badge　of　officeand　held　in　his

hand　a　heavy　kerry；　the　shaft　of　which　was　scored　with　many　notches；

each　of　them　representing　a　human　life。



〃See；　White　Man；〃　he　shouted；　〃here　is　the　bait　which　the　king　sends　to

draw　the　holy　birds　to　you。　　Had　it　not　been　that　you　needed　such　bait；

perhaps　these　wizards　would　have　escaped。　　But　the　Black　One　said　the

little　Son　of　George；　who　is　named　Macumazahn；　needs　them　that　he　may

show　his　magic；　and　therefore　they　must　die　to…day。〃



Now；　at　this　information　I　turned　positively　sick。　　Nor　did　it　make　me

feel　better　when　the　youngest　of　the　victims；　hearing　the　executioner's

words；　flung　himself　upon　his　knees；　and　began　to　implore　me　to　spare

him。　　His　grandfather　also　addressed　me；　saying：



〃Chief；　will　it　not　be　enough　if　I　die？　　I　am　old；　and　my　life　does　not

matter。　　Or　if　one　is　not　sufficient；　take　me　and　my　son；　and　let　the

lad；　my　grandson；　go　free。　　We　are　all　of　us　innocent　of　any　witchcraft；

and　he　is　not　even　old　enough　to　practise　such　things；　being　but　an

unmarried　boy。　　Chief；　you；　also；　are　young。　　Would　not　your　heart　be

heavy　if　you　had　to　be　slain　when　the　sun　of　your　life　was　still　new　in

the　sky？　　Think；　White　Chief；　what　your　father　would　feel；　if　you　have

one；　should　he　be　forced　to　see　you　killed　before　his　eyes；　that　some

stranger　might　use　your　body　to　show　his　skill　with　a　magic　weapon　by

slaying　the　wild　things　that　would　eat　it。〃



Now；　almost　with　tears；　I　broke　in；　explaining　to　the　venerable　man　as

well　as　I　could　that　their　horrible　fate　had　nothing　to　do　with　me。　　I

told　him　that　I　was　innocent　of　their　blood；　who　was　forced　to　be　there

to　try　to　shoot　vultures　on　the　wing　in　order　to　save　my　white

companions　from　a　doom　similar　to　their　own。　　He　listened　attentively；

asking　a　question　now　and　again；　and　when　he　had　mastered　my　meaning；

said　with　a　most　dignified　calmness：



〃Now　I　understand；　White　Man；　and　am　glad　to　learn　that　you　are　not

cruel；　as　I　thought。　　My　children；〃　he　added；　turning　to　the　others；

〃let　us　trouble　this　Inkoos　no　more。　　He　only　does　what　he　must　do　to

save　the　lives　of　his　brethren　by　his　skill；　if　he　can。　　If　we　continue

to　plead　with　him　and　stir　his　heart　to　pity；　the　sorrow　swelling　in　it

may　cause　his　hand　to　shake；　and　then　they　will　die　also；　and　their

blood　be　on　his　head　and　ours。　　My　children；　it　is　the　king's　will　that

we　should　be　slain。　　Let　us　make　ready　to　obey　the　king；　as　men　of　our

House　have　always　done。　　White　lord；　we　thank　you　for　your　good　words。　

May　you　live　long；　and　may　good　fortune　sleep　in　your　hut　to　the　end。　

May　you　shoot　straight；　also；　with　your　magic　tool；　and　thereby　win　the

lives　of　your　company　out　of　the　hand　of　the　king。　　Farewell；　Inkoos；〃

and　since　he　could　not　lift　his　bound　hands　in　salutation；　he　bowed　to

me；　as　did　the　others。



Then　they　walked　to　a　little　distance；　and；　seating　themselves　on　the

ground；　began　to　talk　together；　and　after　a　while　to　drone　some　strange

chant　in　unison。　　The　executioners　and　the　guards　also　sat　down　not　far

away；　laughing；　chatting；　and　passing　a　horn　of　snuff　from　hand　to　hand。

　Indeed；　I　observed　that　the　captain　of　them　even　took　some　snuff　to　the

victims；　and　held　it　in　his　palm　beneath　their　noses　while　they　drew　it

up　their　nostrils　and　politely　thanked　him　between　the　sneezes。



As　for　myself；　I　lit　a　pipe　and　smoked　it；　for　I　seemed　to　require　a

stimulant；　or；　rather；　a　sedative。　　Before　it　was　finished　Hans；　who　was

engaged　in　doctoring　his　scratches　made　by　the　vultures'　beaks　with　a

concoction　of　leaves　which　he　had　been　chewing；　exclaimed　suddenly　in

his　matter…of…fact　voice：



〃See；　baas；　here　they　come；　the　white　people　on　one　side　and　the　black

on　the　other；　just　like　the　goats　and　the　sheep　at　Judgment　Day　in　the

Book。〃



I　looked；　and　there　to　my　right　appeared　the　party　of　Boers；　headed　by

the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　who　held　the　remnants　of　an　old　umbrella　over　her

head。　　To　the　left　advanced　a　number　of　Zulu　nobles　and　councillors；　in

front　of　whom　waddled　Dingaan　arrayed　in　his　bead　dancing　dress。　　He　was

supported　by　two　stalwart　body…servants；　whilst　a　third　held　a　shield

over　his　head　to　protect　him　from　the　sun；　and　a　fourth　carried　a　large

stool；　upon　which　he　was　to　sit。　　Behind　each　party；　also；　I　perceived　a

number　of　Zulus　in　their　war…dress；　all　of　them　armed　with　broad

stabbing　spears。



The　two　parties　arrived　at　the　stone　upon　which　I　was　sitting　almost

simultaneously；　as　probably　it　had　been　arranged　that　they　should　do；

and　halted；　staring　at　each　other。　　As　for　me；　I　sat　still　upon　my　stone

and　smoked　on。



〃Allemachte！　Allan；〃　puffed　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　who　was　breathless　with

her　walk　up　the　hill；　〃so　here　you　are！　　As　you　did　not　come　back；　I

thought　you　had　run　away　and　left　us；　like　that　stinkcat　Pereira。〃



〃Yes；　Tante　（aunt）；　here　I　am；〃　I　answered　gloomily；　〃and　I　wish　to

heaven　that　I　was　somewhere　else。〃



Just　then　Dingaan；　having　settled　his　great　bulk　upon　the　stool　and

recovered　his　breath；　called　to　the　lad　Halstead；　who　was　with　him；　and

said：



〃O　Tho…maas；　ask　your　brother；　Macumazahn；　if　he　is　ready　to　try　to

shoot　the　vultures。　　If　not；　as　I　wish　to　be　fair；　I　will　give　him　a

little　more　time　to　make　his　magic　medicine。〃



I　replied　sulkily　that　I　was　as　ready　as　I　was　ever　likely　to　be。



Then　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　understanding　that　the　king　of　the　Zulus　was

before　her；　advanced　upon　him；　waving　her　umbrella。　　Catching　hold　of

Halstead；　who　understood　Dutch；　she　forced　him　to　translate　an　harangue；

which　she　addressed　to　Dingaan。



Had　he　rendered　it　exactly　as　it　came　from　her　lips；　we　should　all　have

been　dead　in　five　minutes；　but；　luckily；　that　unfortunate　young　man　had

learnt　some　of　the　guile　of　the　serpent　during　his　sojourn　among　the

Zulus；　and　varied　her　vigorous　phrases。　　The　gist　of　her　discourse　was

that　he；　Dingaan；　was　a　black…hearted　and　bloody…minded　villain；　with

whom　the　Almighty　would　come　even　sooner　or　later　（as；　indeed；　He　did）；

and　that　if　he　dared　to　touch　one　hair　of　her　or　of　her　companions'

heads；　the　Boers；　her　countrymen；　would　prove　themselves　to　be　the

ministers　of　the　Almighty　in　that　matter　（as；　indeed；　they　did）。　　As

translated　by　Halstead　into　Zulu；　what　she　said　was　that　Dingaan　was　the

greatest　king　in　the　whole　world；　in　fact；　that　there　was　not；　and　never

had　been；　any　such　a　king　either　in　power；　wisdom；　or　personal　beauty；

and　that　if　she　and　her　companions　had　to　die；　the　sight　of　his　glory

consoled　them　for　their　deaths。



〃Indeed；〃　said　Dingaan　suspiciously；　〃if　that　is　what　this　man…woman

says；　her　eyes　tell　one　story　and　her　lips　another。　　Oh！　Tho…maas；　lie

no　more。　　Speak　the　true　words　of　the　white　chieftainess；　lest　I　should

find　them　out　otherwise；　and　give　you　to　the　slayers。〃



Thus　adjured；　Halstead　explained　that　he　had　not　yet　told　all　the　words。

　The　〃man…woman；〃　who　was；　as　he；　Dingaan；　supposed；　a　great

chieftainess　among　the　Dutch；　added　that　if　he；　the　mighty　and　glorious

king；　the　earth…shaker；　the　world…eater；　killed　her　or　any　of　her

subjects；　her　people　would　avenge　her　by　killing　him　and　his　people。



〃Does　she　say　that？〃　said　Dingaan。　　〃Then；　as　I　thought；　these　Boers　are

dangerous；　and　not　the　peaceful　folk　they　make　themselves　out　to　be；〃

and　he　brooded　for　a　while；　staring　at　the　ground。　　Presently　he　lifted

his　head　and　went　on：　〃Well；　a　bet　is　a　bet；　and　therefore　I　will