marie-第47章

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

terrific　and　ever…growing　speed。



_It　was　the　king　vulture　falling　from　the　heavensdead！_



Down　it　came　between　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　and　the　slayers；　smashing　the

lifted　assegai　of　one　of　them　and　hurling　him　to　the　earth。　　Down　it

came；　and　lay　there　a　mere　mass　of　pulp　and　feathers。



〃O　Dingaan；〃　I　said　in　the　midst　of　the　intense　silence　that　followed；

〃it　seems　that　it　is　I　who　have　won　the　bet；　not　you。　　I　killed　this

king　of　birds；　but　being　a　king　it　chose　to　die　high　up　and　alone；　that

is　all。〃



Dingaan　hesitated；　for　he　did　not　wish　to　spare　the　Boers；　and　I；　noting

his　hesitation；　lifted　my　rifle　a　little。　　Perhaps　he　saw　it；　or　perhaps

his　sense　of　honour；　as　he　understood　the　word；　overcame　his　wish　for

their　blood。　　At　any　rate；　he　said　to　one　of　his　councillors：



〃Search　the　carcase　of　that　vulture　and　see　if　there　is　a　bullet　hole　in

it。〃



The　man　obeyed；　feeling　at　the　mass　of　broken　bones　and　flesh。　　By　good

fortune　he　found；　not　the　hole；　for　that　was　lost　in　the　general

destruction　of　the　tissues；　but　the　ball　itself；　which；　having　pierced

the　thick　body　from　below　upwards；　had　remained　fast　in　the　tough　skin

just　by　the　back…bone　where　the　long；　red　neck　emerges　from　between　the

wings。　　He　picked　it　out；　for　it　was　only　hanging　in　the　skin；　and　held

it　up　for　all　to　see。



〃Macumazahn　has　won　his　bet；〃　said　Dingaan。　　〃His　magic　has　conquered；

though　by　but　a　very　little。　　Macumazahn；　take　these　Boers；　they　are

yours；　and　begone　with　them　out　of　my　country。〃







CHAPTER　XV









RETIEF　ASKS　A　FAVOUR











Now　and　again　during　our　troubled　journey　through　life　we　reach　little

oases　of　almost　perfect　happiness；　set　jewel…like　here　and　there　in　the

thorny　wilderness　of　time。　　Sometimes　these　are　hours　of　mere　animal

content。　　In　others　they　are　made　beautiful　by　waters　blowing　from　our

spiritual　springs　of　being；　as　in　those　rare　instances　when　the　material

veil　of　life　seems　to　be　rent　by　a　mighty　hand；　and　we　feel　the　presence

and　the　comfort　of　God　within　us　and　about　us；　guiding　our　footsteps　to

the　ineffable　end；　which　is　Himself。　　Occasionally；　however；　all　these；

physical　satisfaction　and　love　divine　and　human；　are　blended　to　a　whole；

like　soul　and　body；　and　we　can　say；　〃Now　I　know　what　is　joy。〃



Such　an　hour　came　to　me　on　the　evening　of　that　day　of　the　winning　of　my

bet　with　Dingaan；　when　a　dozen　lives　or　so　were　set　against　my　nerve　and

skill。　　These　had　not　failed　me；　although　I　knew　that　had　it　not　been

for　the　inspiration　of　the　Hottentot　Hans　（who　sent　it；　I　wonder？）　they

would　have　been　of　no　service　at　all。　　With　all　my　thought　and

experience；　it　had　never　occurred　to　me　that　the　wonderful　eyes　of　the

vultures　would　see　the　flash　of　the　powder　even　through　the　pervading

sunlight；　and　swerve　before　the　deadly　bullet　could　reach　them。



On　that　night　I　was　indeed　a　hero　in　a　small　way。　　Even　Henri　Marais

thawed　and　spoke　to　me　as　a　father　might　to　his　child；　he　who　always

disliked　me　in　secret；　partly　because　I　was　an　Englishman；　partly

because　I　was　everything　to　his　daughter　and　he　was　jealous；　and　partly

for　the　reason　that　I　stood　in　the　path　of　his　nephew；　Hernan　Pereira；

whom　he　either　loved　or　feared；　or　both。　　As　for　the　rest　of　them；　men；

women　and　children；　they　thanked　and　blessed　me　with　tears　in　their

eyes；　vowing　that；　young　as　I　was；　thenceforth　I　and　no　other　should　be

their　leader。　　As　may　be　imagined；　although　it　is　true　that　she　set　down

my　success　to　her　meal　of　bullock's　liver　and　the　nap　which　she　had

insisted　on　my　taking；　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　was　the　most　enthusiastic　of

them　all。



〃Look　at　him；〃　she　said；　pointing　with　her　fat　finger　at　my

insignificant　self　and　addressing　her　family。　　〃If　only　I　had　such　a

husband　or　a　son；　instead　of　you　lumps　that　God　has　tied　to　me　like

clogs　to　the　heels　of　a　she…ass；　I　should　be　happy。〃



〃God　did　that　in　order　to　prevent　you　from　kicking；　old　vrouw；〃　said　her

husband；　a　quiet　man　with　a　vein　of　sardonic　humour。　　〃If　only　He　had

tied　another　clog　to　your　tongue；　I　should　be　happy　also〃；　whereon　the

vrouw　smacked　his　head　and　her　children　got　out　of　the　way　sniggering。



But　the　most　blessed　thing　of　all　was　my　interview　with　Marie。　　All　that

took　place　between　us　can　best　be　left　to　the　imagination；　since　the

talk　of　lovers；　even　in　such　circumstances；　is　not　interesting　to

others。　　Also；　in　a　sense；　it　is　too　sacred　to　repeat。　　One　sentence　I

will　set　down；　however；　because　in　the　light　of　after　events　I　feel　that

it　was　prophetic；　and　not　spoken　merely　by　chance。　　It　was　at　the　end　of

our　talk；　as　she　was　handing　me　back　the　pistol　that　I　had　given　her　for

a　certain　dreadful　purpose。



〃Three　times　you　have　saved　my　life；　Allanonce　at　Maraisfontein；　once

from　starvation；　and　now　from　Dingaan；　whose　touch　would　have　meant　my

death。　　I　wonder　whether　it　will　ever　be　my　turn　to　save　yours？〃



She　looked　down　for　a　little　while；　then　lifted　her　head　and　laid　her

hand　upon　my　shoulder；　adding　slowly：　〃Do　you　know；　Allan；　I　think　that

it　will　at　the〃　and　suddenly　she　turned　and　left　me　with　her　sentence

unfinished。





So　thus　it　came　about　that　by　the　help　of　Providence　I　was　enabled　to

rescue　all　these　worthy　folk　from　a　miserable　and　a　bloody　death。　　And

yet　I　have　often　reflected　since　that　if　things　had　gone　differently；

if；　for　instance；　that　king　aasvogel　had　found　strength　to　carry　itself

away　to　die　at　a　distance　instead　of　soaring　straight　upwards　like　a

towering　partridge；　as　birds　injured　in　the　lungs　will　often　doI

suppose　in　search　of　airit　might　have　been　better　in　the　end。　　Then　I

should　certainly　have　shot　Dingaan　dead　and　every　one　of　us　would　as

certainly　have　been　killed　on　the　spot。　　But　if　Dingaan　had　died　that

day；　Retief　and　his　companions　would　never　have　been　massacred。　　Also　as

the　peaceful　Panda；　his　brother；　would；　I　suppose；　have　succeeded　to　the

throne；　probably　the　subsequent　slaughter　at　Weenen；　and　all　the　after

fighting；　would　never　have　taken　place。　　But　so　it　was　fated；　and　who　am

I　that　I　should　quarrel　with　or　even　question　the　decrees　of　fate？　

Doubtless　these　things　were　doomed　to　happen；　and　they　happened　in　due

course。　　There　is　nothing　more　to　be　said。



Early　on　the　following　morning　we　collected　our　oxen；　which；　although

still　footsore；　were　now　full　fed　and　somewhat　rested。　　An　hour　or　two

later　began　our　trek；　word　having　come　to　us　from　Dingaan　that　we　must

start　at　once。　　Also　he　sent　us　guides；　under　the　command　of　the　captain

Kambula；　to　show　us　the　road　to　Natal。



I　breakfasted　that　day　with　the　Reverend　Mr。　Owen　and　his　people；　my

object　being　to　persuade　him　to　come　away　with　us；　as　I　did　not　consider

that　Zululand　was　a　safe　place　for　white　women　and　children。　　My　mission

proved　fruitless。　　Mrs。　Hulley；　the　wife　of　the　absent　interpreter；　who

had　three　little　ones；　Miss　Owen　and　the　servant；　Jane　Williams；　were

all　of　them　anxious　enough　to　do　as　I　suggested。　　But　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Owen；

who　were　filled　with　the　true　fervour　of　missionaries；　would　not　listen。

　They　said　that　God　would　protect　them；　that　they　had　only　been　a　few

weeks　in　the　country；　and　that　it　would　be　the　act　of　cowards　and　of

traitors　to　fly　at　the　very　beginning　of　their　work。　　Here　I　may　add

that　after　the　massacre　of　Retief　they　changed　their　opinion；　small

blame　to　them；　and　fled　as　fast　as　anyone　else。



I　told　Mr。　Owen　how　very　close　I　had　gone　to　shooting　Dingaan；　in　which

event　they　might　all　have　been　killed　with　us。　　This　news　shocked　him

much。　　Indeed；　he　lectured　me　severely　on　the　sins　of　bloodthirstiness

and　a　desire　for　revenge。　　So；　finding　that　we　looked　at　things

differently；　and　that　it　was　of　no　use　wasting　breath　in　argument；　I

wished　him　and　his　people　good…bye　and　good　fortune　and　went　upon　my

way；　little　gue