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第46章

marie-第46章

小说: marie 字数: 每页4000字

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though but by a little。



〃Come;〃 I gasped; and began to walk quickly round the edge of the

depression to a rock; which I saw opposite about a hundred yards away。 

My journey took me near the Zulus; who mocked me as I passed; asking

where my magic was; and if I wished to see the white people killed

presently。  Dingaan was now offering odds of fifty cattle to one against

me; but no one would take the bet even with the king。



I made no answer; no; not even when they asked me 〃if I had thrown down

my spear and was running away。〃  Grimly; despairingly; I marched on to

the rock; and took shelter behind it with Hans。  The Boers; I saw; were

still upon their knees; but seemed to have ceased praying。  The children

were weeping; the men stared at each other; Vrouw Prinsloo had her arm

about Marie's waist。  Waiting there behind the rock; my courage returned

to me; as it sometimes does in the last extremity。  I remembered my

dream and took comfort。  Surely God would not be so cruel as to suffer

me to fail and thereby bring all those poor people to their deaths。



Snatching the rifle from Hans; I loaded it myself; nothing must be

trusted to another。  As I put on the cap a vulture made its last circle。

 It hung in the air just as the others had done; and oh! its tail was

towards me。  I lifted; I aimed between the gathered…up legs; I pressed

and shut my eyes; for I did not dare to look。



I heard the bullet strike; or seem to strike; and a few seconds later I

heard something elsethe noise of a heavy thud upon the ground。  I

looked; and there with outstretched wings lay the foul bird dead; stone

dead; eight or ten paces from the bodies。



〃Allemachte! that's better;〃 said Hans。  〃You threw stones on to _all_

the other heaps; didn't you; baas?〃



The Zulus grew excited; and the odds went down a little。  The Boers

stretched out their white faces and stared at me; I saw them out of the

corner of my eye as I loaded again。  Another vulture came; seeing one of

its companions on the ground; if in a somewhat unnatural attitude;

perhaps it thought that there could be nothing to fear。  I leaned

against my rock; aimed; and fired; almost carelessly; so sure was I of

the result。  This time I did not shut my eyes; but watched to see what

happened。



The bullet struck the bird between its thighs; raked it from end to end;

and down it came like a stone almost upon the top of its fellow。



〃Good; good!〃 said Hans with a guttural chuckle of delight。  〃Now; baas;

make no mistake with the third; and 'als sall recht kommen' (all shall

be well)。〃



〃Yes;〃 I answered; 〃_if_ I make no mistake with the third。〃



I loaded the rifle again myself; being very careful to ram down the

powder well and to select a bullet that fitted perfectly true to the

bore。  Moreover; I cleared the nipple with a thorn; and shook a little

fine powder into it; so as to obviate any chance of a miss…fire。  Then I

set on the cap and waited。  What was going on among the Boers or the

Zulus I do not know。  In this last crisis of all our fates I never

looked; being too intent upon my own part in the drama。



By now the vultures appeared to have realised that something unusual was

in progress; which threatened danger to them。  At any rate; although by

this time they had collected in hundreds from east; west; north; and

south; and were wheeling the heavens above in their vast; majestic

circles; none of them seemed to care to descend to prey upon the bodies。

 I watched; and saw that among their number was that great king bird

which had bitten Hans in the face; it was easy to distinguish him;

because he was so much larger than the others。  Also; he had some white

at the tips of his wings。  I observed that certain of his company drew

near to him in the skies; where they hung together in a knot; as though

in consultation。



They separated out again; and the king began to descend; deputed

probably to spy out the land。  Down he came in ever…narrowing turns;

till he reached the appointed spot for the plunge; and; according to the

immemorial custom of these birds; hung a while before he pounced with

his head to the south and his great; spreading tail towards me。



This was my chance; and; rejoicing in having so large a mark; I got the

sight upon him and pulled。  The bullet thudded; some feathers floated

from his belly; showing that it had gone home; and I looked to see him

fall as the others had done。  But alas! he did not fall。  For a few

seconds he rocked to and fro upon his great wings; then commenced to

travel upwards in vast circles; which grew gradually more narrow; till

he appeared to be flying almost straight into the empyrean。  I stared

and stared。  Everybody stared; till that enormous bird became; first a

mere blot upon the blue; and at length but a speck。  Then it vanished

altogether into regions far beyond the sight of man。



〃Now there is an end;〃 I said to Hans。



〃Ja; baas;〃 answered the Hottentot between his chattering teeth; 〃there

is an end。  You did not put in enough powder。  Presently we shall all be

dead。〃



〃Not quite;〃 I said with a bitter laugh。  〃Hans; load the rifle; load it

quick。  Before they die there shall be another king in Zululand。〃



〃Good; good!〃 he exclaimed as he loaded desperately。  〃Let us take that

fat pig of a Dingaan with us。  Shoot him in the stomach; baas; shoot him

in the stomach; so that he too may learn what it is to die slowly。  Then

cut my throat; here is my big knife; and afterwards cut your own; if you

have not time to load the gun again and shoot yourself; which is

easier。〃



I nodded; for it was in my mind to do these things。  Never could I stand

still and see those poor Boers killed; and I knew that Marie would look

after herself。



Meanwhile; the Zulus were coming towards me; and the soldiers who had

charge of them were driving up Marais's people; making pretence to

thrust them through with their assegais; and shouting at them as men do

at cattle。  Both parties arrived in the depression at about the same

time; but remained separated by a little space。  In this space lay the

corpses of the murdered men and the two dead aasvogels; with Hans and

myself standing opposite to them。



〃Well; little Son of George;〃 puffed Dingaan; 〃you have lost your bet;

for you did but kill two vultures out of five with your magic; which was

good as far as it went; but not good enough。  Now you must pay; as I

would have paid had you won。〃



Then he stretched out his hand; and issued the dreadful order of 〃Bulala

amalongu!〃 (Kill the white people)。  〃Kill them one by one; that I may

see whether they know how to die; all except Macumazahn and the tall

girl; whom I keep。〃



Some of the soldiers made a dash and seized the Vrouw Prinsloo; who was

standing in front of the party。



〃Wait a little; King;〃 she called out as the assegais were lifted over

her。  〃How do you know that the bet is lost?  He whom you call

Macumazahn hit that last vulture。  It should be searched for before you

kill us。〃



〃What does the old woman say?〃 asked Dingaan; and Halstead translated

slowly。



〃True;〃 said Dingaan。  〃Well; now I will send her to search for the

vulture in the sky。  Come back thence; Fat One; and tell us if you find

it。〃



The soldiers lifted their assegais; waiting the king's word。  I

pretended to look at the ground; and cocked my rifle; being determined

that if he spoke it; it should be his last。  Hans stared upwardsI

suppose to avoid the sight of deaththen suddenly uttered a wild yell;

which caused everyone; even the doomed people; to turn their eyes to

him。  He was pointing to the heavens; and they looked to see at what he

pointed。



This was what they saw。  Far; far above in that infinite sea of blue

there appeared a tiny speck; which his sharp sight had already

discerned; a speck that grew larger and larger as it descended with

terrific and ever…growing speed。



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