marie-第48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！



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

way；　little　guessing　how　we　should　meet　again。



An　hour　later　we　trekked。　　Passing　by　the　accursed　hill；　Hloma　Amabutu；

where　I　saw　some　gorged　vultures　sleeping　on　the　rocks；　we　came　to　the

gate　of　the　Great　Kraal。　　Here；　to　my　surprise；　I　saw　Dingaan　with　some

of　his　councillors　and　an　armed　guard　of　over　a　hundred　men；　seated

under　the　shade　of　two　big　milk　trees。　　Fearing　treachery；　I　halted　the

wagons　and　advised　the　Boers　to　load　their　rifles　and　be　ready　for　the

worst。　　A　minute　or　so　later　young　Thomas　Halstead　arrived　and　told　me

that　Dingaan　wished　to　speak　with　us。　　I　asked　him　if　that　meant　that　we

were　to　be　killed。　　He　answered；　〃No；　you　are　quite　safe。〃　　The　king　had

received　some　news　that　had　put　him　in　a　good　humour　with　the　white

people；　and　he　desired　to　bid　us　farewell；　that　was　all。



So　we　trekked　boldly　to　where　Dingaan　was；　and；　stopping　the　wagons；

went　up　to　him　in　a　body。　　He　greeted　us　kindly　enough；　and　even　gave　me

his　fat　hand　to　shake。



〃Macumazahn；〃　he　said；　〃although　it　has　cost　me　many　oxen；　I　am　glad

that　your　magic　prevailed　yesterday。　　Had　it　not　done　so　I　should　have

killed　all　these　your　friends；　which　would　have　been　a　cause　of　war

between　me　and　the　Amaboona。　　Now；　this　morning　I　have　learned　that

these　Amaboona　are　sending　a　friendly　embassy　to　me　under　one　of　their

great　chiefs；　and　I　think　that　you　will　meet　them　on　the　road。　　I　charge

you；　therefore；　to　tell　them　to　come　on；　having　no　fear；　as　I　will

receive　them　well　and　listen　to　all　they　have　to　say。〃



I　answered　that　I　would　do　so。



〃Good；〃　he　replied。　　〃I　am　sending　twelve　head　of　cattle　with　you；　six

of　them　for　your　food　during　your　journey；　and　six　as　a　present　to　the

embassy　of　the　Amaboona。　　Also　Kambula；　my　captain；　has　charge　to　see

you　safely　over　the　Tugela　River。〃



I　thanked　him　and　turned　to　go；　when　suddenly　his　eye　fell　upon　Marie；

who；　foolishly　enough；　took　this　opportunity　to　advance　from　among　the

others　and　speak　to　me　about　somethingI　forget　what。



〃Macumazahn；　is　that　the　maiden　of　whom　you　spoke　to　me？〃　asked　Dingaan；

〃she　whom　you　are　going　to　marry？〃



I　answered；　〃Yes。〃



〃By　the　head　of　the　Black　One；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃she　is　very　fair。　　Will

you　not　make　a　present　of　her　to　me；　Macumazahn？〃



I　answered；　〃No；　she　is　not　mine　to　give　away。〃



〃Well；　then；　Macumazahn；　I　will　pay　you　a　hundred　head　of　cattle　for

her；　which　is　the　price　of　a　royal　wife；　and　give　you　ten　of　the　fairest

girls　in　Zululand　in　exchange。〃



I　answered　that　it　could　not　be。



Now　the　king　began　to　grow　angry。



〃I　will　keep　her；　whether　you　wish　it　or　no；〃　he　said。



〃Then　you　will　keep　her　dead；　O　Dingaan；〃　I　replied；　〃for　there　is　more

of　that　magic　which　slew　the　vultures。〃



Of　course；　I　meant　that　Marie　would　be　dead。　　But　as　my　knowledge　of　the

Zulu　tongue　was　imperfect；　he　understood　the　words　to　mean　that　_he_

would　be　dead；　and　I　think　they　frightened　him。　　At　any　rate；　he　said：



〃Well；　I　promised　you　all　safe…conduct　if　you　won　your　bet；　so　hamba

gachle　（go　in　peace）。　　I　wish　to　have　no　quarrel　with　the　white　folk；

but；　Macumazahn；　you　are　the　first　of　them　who　has　refused　a　gift　to

Dingaan。　　Still；　I　bear　you　no　grudge；　and　if　you　choose　to　come　back

again；　you　will　be　welcome；　for　I　perceive　that；　although　so　small；　you

are　very　clever　and　have　a　will　of　your　own；　also　that　you　mean　what　you

say　and　speak　the　truth。　　Tell　the　People　of　George　that　my　heart　is

soft　towards　them。〃　　Then　he　turned　and　walked　away　through　the　gates　of

the　kraal。



Glad　enough　was　I　to　see　the　last　of　him；　for　now　I　knew　that　we　were

safe；　except　from　such　accidents　as　may　overtake　any　travellers　through

a　wild　country。　　For　the　present；　at　any　rate　until　after　he　had　seen

this　embassy；　Dingaan　wished　to　stand　well　with　the　Boers。　　Therefore　it

was　obvious　that　he　would　never　make　an　irreparable　quarrel　with　them　by

treacherously　putting　us　to　death　as　we　trekked　through　his　country。　

Being　sure　of　this；　we　went　on　our　way　with　light　hearts；　thanking

Heaven　for　the　mercies　which　had　been　shown　to　us。



It　was　on　the　third　day　of　our　trek；　when　we　were　drawing　near　to　the

Tugela；　that　we　met　the　Boer　embassy；　off…saddled　by　a　little　stream

where　we　proposed　to　outspan　to　rest　the　oxen　while　we　ate　our　midday

meal。　　They　were　sleeping　in　the　heat　of　the　day　and　saw　nothing　of　us

till　we　were　right　on　to　them；　when；　catching　sight　of　our　Zulu　advance

guard；　they　sprang　up　and　ran　for　their　rifles。　　Then　the　wagons　emerged

from　the　bush；　and　they　stared　astonished；　wondering　who　could　be

trekking　in　that　country。



We　called　to　them　in　Dutch　not　to　be　afraid　and　in　another　minute　we

were　among　them。　　While　we　were　yet　some　way　off　my　eye　fell　upon　a

burly；　white…bearded　man　whose　figure　seemed　to　be　familiar　to　me；　and

towards　him　I　went；　taking　no　heed　of　the　others；　of　whom　there　may　have

been　six　or　seven。　　Soon　I　was　sure；　and　advancing　with　outstretched

hand；　said：



〃Good…day；　Mynheer　Piet　Retief。　　Who　would　have　thought　that　we　who

parted　so　far　away　and　so　long　ago　would　live　to　meet　among　the　Zulus？〃



He　stared　at　me。



〃Who　is　it？　　Who　is　it？　　Allemachte！　I　know　now。　　The　little　Englishman；

Allan　Quatermain；　who　shot　the　geese　down　in　the　Old　Colony。　　Well；　I

should　not　be　surprised；　for　the　man　you　beat　in　that　match　told　me　that

you　were　travelling　in　these　parts。　　Only　I　understood　him　to　say　that

the　Zulus　had　killed　you。〃



〃If　you　mean　Hernan　Pereira；〃　I　answered；　〃where　did　you　meet　him？〃



〃Why；　down　by　the　Tugela　there；　in　a　bad　way。　　However；　he　can　tell　you

all　about　that　himself；　for　I　have　brought　him　with　me　to　show　us　the

path　to　Dingaan's　kraal。　　Where　is　Pereira？　　Send　Pereira　here。　　I　want

to　speak　with　him。〃



〃Here　I　am；〃　answered　a　sleepy　voice；　the　hated　voice　of　Pereira

himself；　from　the　other　side　of　a　thick　bush；　where　he　had　been

slumbering。　　〃What　is　it；　commandant？　　I　come；〃　and　he　emerged；

stretching　himself　and　yawning；　just　as　the　remainder　of　my　party　came

up。　　He　caught　sight　of　Henri　Marais　first　of　all；　and　began　to　greet

him；　saying：　〃Thank　God；　my　uncle；　you　are　safe！〃



Then　his　eyes　fell　on　me；　and　I　do　not　think　I　ever　saw　a　man's　face

change　more　completely。　　His　jaw　dropped；　the　colour　left　his　cheeks；

leaving　them　of　the　yellow　which　is　common　to　persons　of　Portuguese

descent；　his　outstretched　hand　fell　to　his　side。



〃Allan　Quatermain！〃　he　ejaculated。　　〃Why；　I　thought　that　you　were　dead。〃



〃As　I　should　have　been；　Mynheer　Pereira；　twice　over　if　you　could　have

had　your　way；〃　I　replied。



〃What　do　you　mean；　Allan？〃　broke　in　Retief。



〃I　will　tell　you　what　he　means；〃　exclaimed　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　shaking

her　fat　fist　at　Pereira。　　〃That　yellow　dog　means　that　twice　he　has　tried

to　murder　AllanAllan；　who　saved　his　life　and　ours。　　Once　he　shot　at

him　in　a　kloof　and　grazed　his　cheek；　look；　there　is　the　scar　of　it。　　And

once　he　plotted　with　the　Zulus　to　slaughter　him；　telling　Dingaan　that　he

was　an　evildoer　and　a　wizard；　who　would　bring　a　curse　upon　his　land。〃



Now　Retief　looked　at　Pereira。



〃What　do　you　say　to　this？〃　he　asked。



〃What　do　I　say？〃　repeated　Pereira；　recovering　himself。　　〃Why；　that　it　is

a　lie　or　a　misunderstanding。　　I　never　shot　at　Heer　Allan　in　any　kloof。　

Is　it　likely　that　I　should　have　done　so　when　he　had　just　nursed　me　back

to　life？　　I　never　plotted　with　the　Zulus　for　his　death；　which　would　have

meant　the　deaths　of　my　uncle　and　my　cousin　and　of　all　their　companions。　

Am　I　mad　that　I　should　do　such　a　thing？〃



〃Not　mad；　but　bad；〃　screamed　the　vrouw。　　〃I　tell　you；　Heer　Retief；　it　is

no　lie。　　Ask　those　with　me；〃　she　added；　appealing　to　the　others；　who；

with　the　exception　of　Marais；　answered　as　with　one　voice：



〃No；　it　is　no　lie。〃



〃Silence！〃　said　the　commandant。　　〃Now；