marie-第49章

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〃No；　it　is　no　lie。〃



〃Silence！〃　said　the　commandant。　　〃Now；　nephew　Allan；　tell　us　your

story。〃



So　I　told　him　everything；　of　course　leaving　out　all　details。　　Even　then

the　tale　was　long；　though　it　did　not　seem　to　be　one　that　wearied　my

hearers。



〃Allemachte！〃　said　Retief　when　I　had　finished；　〃this　is　a　strange　story；

the　strangest　that　ever　I　heard。　　If　it　is　true；　Hernan　Pereira；　you

deserve　to　have　your　back　set　against　a　tree　and　to　be　shot。〃



〃God　in　heaven！〃　he　answered；　〃am　I　to　be　condemned　on　such　a　taleI；

an　innocent　man？　　Where　is　the　evidence？　　This　Englishman　tells　all　this

against　me　for　a　simple　reasonthat　he　has　robbed　me　of　the　love　of　my

cousin；　to　whom　I　was　affianced。　　Where　are　his　witnesses？〃



〃As　to　the　shooting　at　me　in　the　kloof；　I　have　none　except　God　who　saw

you；〃　I　answered。　　〃As　to　the　plot　that　you　laid　against　me　among　the

Zulus；　as　it　chances；　however；　there　is　one；　Kambula；　the　captain　who

was　sent　to　take　me　as　you　had　arranged；　and　who　now　commands　our

escort。〃



〃A　savage！〃　exclaimed　Pereira。　　〃Is　the　tale　of　a　savage　to　be　taken

against　that　of　a　white　man？　　Also；　who　will　translate　his　story？　　You；

Mynheer　Quatermain；　are　the　only　one　here　who　knows　his　tongue；　if　you

do　know　it；　and　you　are　my　accuser。〃



〃That　is　true；〃　remarked　Retief。　　〃Such　a　witness　should　not　be　admitted

without　a　sworn　interpreter。　　Now　listen；　I　pass　judgment　as　commandant

in　the　field。　　Hernan　Pereira；　I　have　known　you　to　be　a　rogue　in　the

past；　for　I　remember　that　you　cheated　this　very　young　man；　Allan

Quatermain；　at　a　friendly　trial　of　skill　at　which　I　was　present；　but

since　then　till　now　I　have　heard　nothing　more　of　you；　good　or　bad。　

To…day　this　Allan　Quatermain　and　a　number　of　my　own　countrymen　bring

grave　charges　against　you；　which；　however；　at　present　are　not　capable　of

proof　or　disproof。　　Well；　I　cannot　decide　those　charges；　whatever　my　own

opinion　may　be。　　I　think　that　you　had　better　go　back　with　your　uncle；

Henri　Marais；　to　the　trek…Boers；　where　they　can　be　laid　before　a　court

and　settled　according　to　law。〃



〃If　so；　he　will　go　back　alone；〃　said　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo。　　〃He　will　not

go　back　with　us；　for　we　will　elect　a　field…cornet　and　shoot　himthe

stinkcat；　who　left　us　to　starve　and　afterwards　tried　to　kill　little

Allan　Quatermain；　who　saved　our　lives〃；　and　the　chorus　behind　her

echoed：



〃Ja；　ja；　we　will　shoot　him。〃



〃Hernan　Pereira；〃　said　Retief；　rubbing　his　broad　forehead；　〃I　don't

quite　know　why　it　is；　but　no　one　seems　to　want　you　as　a　companion。　

Indeed；　to　speak　truth；　I　don't　myself。　　Still；　I　think　you　would　be

safer　with　me　than　with　these　others　whom　you　seem　to　have　offended。　

Therefore；　I　suggest　that　you　come　on　with　us。　　But　listen　here；　man；〃

he　added　sternly；　〃if　I　find　you　plotting　against　us　among　the　Zulus；

that　hour　you　are　dead。　　Do　you　understand？〃



〃I　understand　that　I　am　one　slandered；〃　replied　Pereira。　　〃Still；　it　is

Christian　to　submit　to　injuries；　and　therefore　I　will　do　as　you　wish。　

As　to　these　bearers　of　false　witness；　I　leave　them　to　God。〃



〃And　I　leave　you　to　the　devil；〃　shouted　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　〃who　will

certainly　have　you　soon　or　late。　　Get　out　of　my　sight；　stinkcat；　or　I

will　pull　your　hair　off。〃　And　she　rushed　at　him；　flapping　her　dreadful

vatdoekwhich　she　produced　from　some　recess　in　her　raimentin　his

face；　driving　him　away　as　though　he　were　a　noxious　insect。



Well；　he　went　I　know　not　where；　and　so　strong　was　public　opinion　against

him　that　I　do　not　think　that　even　his　uncle；　Henri　Marais；　sought　him

out　to　console　him。



When　Pereira　was　gone；　our　party　and　that　of　Retief　fell　into　talk；　and

we　had　much　to　tell。　　Especially　was　the　commandant　interested　in　the

story　of　my　bet　with　Dingaan；　whereby　I　saved　the　lives　of　all　my

companions　by　shooting　the　vultures。



〃It　was　not　for　nothing；　nephew；　that　God　Almighty　gave　you　the　power　of

holding　a　gun　so　straight；〃　said　Retief　to　me　when　he　understood　the

matter。　　〃I　remember　that　when　you　killed　those　wildfowl　in　the　Groote

Kloof　with　bullets；　which　no　other　man　could　have　done；　I　wondered　why

you　should　have　such　a　gift　above　all　the　rest　of　us；　who　have　practised

for　so　many　more　years。　　Well；　now　I　understand。　　God　Almighty　is　no

fool；　He　knows　His　business。　　I　wish　you　were　coming　back　with　me　to

Dingaan；　but　as　that　tainted　man；　Hernan　Pereira；　is　of　my　company；

perhaps　it　is　better　that　you　should　stay　away。　　Tell　me；　now；　about

this　Dingaan；　does　he　mean　to　kill　us？〃



〃Not　this　time；　I　think；　uncle；〃　I　answered；　〃because　first　he　wishes　to

learn　all　about　the　Boers。　　Still；　do　not　trust　him　too　far　just　because

he　speaks　you　softly。　　Remember；　that　if　I　had　missed　the　third　vulture；

we　should　all　have　been　dead　by　now。　　And；　if　you　are　wise；　keep　an　eye

upon　Hernan　Pereira。〃



〃These　things　I　will　do；　nephew；　especially　the　last　of　them；　and　now　we

must　be　getting　on。　　Stay；　come　here；　Henri　Marais；　I　have　a　word　to　say

to　you。　　I　understand　that　this　little　Englishman；　Allan　Quatermain；　who

is　worth　ten　bigger　men；　loves　your　daughter；　whose　life　he　has　saved

again　and　again；　and　that　she　loves　him。　　Why；　then；　do　you　not　let　them

marry　in　a　decent　fashion？〃



〃Because　before　God　I　have　sworn　her　to　another　manto　my　nephew；

Hernan　Pereira；　whom　everyone　slanders；〃　answered　Marais　sulkily。　

〃Until　she　is　of　age　that　oath　holds。〃



〃Oho！〃　said　Retief；　〃you　have　sworn　your　lamb　to　that　hyena；　have　you？　

Well；　look　out　that　he　does　not　crack　your　bones　as　well　as　hers；　and

perhaps　some　others　also。　　Why　does　God　give　some　men　a　worm　in　their

brains；　as　He　does　to　the　wildebeeste；　a　worm　that　always　makes　them　run

the　wrong　way？　　I　don't　know；　I　am　sure；　but　you　who　are　very　religious；

Henri　Marais；　might　think　the　matter　over　and　tell　me　the　answer　when

next　we　meet。　　Well；　this　girl　of　yours　will　soon　be　of　age；　and　then；

as　I　am　commandant　down　yonder　where　she　is　going；　I'll　see　she　marries

the　man　she　wants；　whatever　you　say；　Henri　Marais。　　Heaven　above　us！　I

only　wish　it　were　my　daughter　he　was　in　love　with。　　A　fellow　who　can

shoot　to　such　good　purpose　might　have　the　lot　of　them〃；　and　uttering　one

of　his　great；　hearty　laughs；　he　walked　off　to　his　horse。





On　the　morrow　of　this　meeting　we　forded　the　Tugela　and　entered　the

territory　that　is　now　called　Natal。　　Two　days'　short　trekking　through　a

beautiful　country　brought　us　to　some　hills　that　I　think　were　called

Pakadi；　or　else　a　chief　named　Pakadi　lived　there；　I　forget　which。　

Crossing　these　hills；　on　the　further　side　of　them；　as　Retief　had　told　us

we　should　do；　we　found　a　large　party　of　the　trek…Boers；　who　were　already

occupying　this　land　on　the　hither　side　of　the　Bushman's　River；　little

knowing；　poor　people；　that　it　was　fated　to　become　the　grave　of　many　of

them。　　To…day；　and　for　all　future　time；　that　district　is　and　will　be

known　by　the　name　of　Weenen；　or　the　Place　of　Weeping；　because　of　those

pioneers　who　here　were　massacred　by　Dingaan　within　a　few　weeks　of　the

time　of　which　I　write。



Nice　as　the　land　was；　for　some　reason　or　other　it　did　not　quite　suit　my

fancy；　and　therefore；　in　view　of　my　approaching　marriage　with　Marie；

having　purchased　a　horse　from　one　of　the　trek…Boers；　I　began　to　explore

the　country　round。　　My　object　was　to　find　a　stretch　of　fertile　veld

where　we　could　settle　when　we　were　wedded；　and　such　a　spot　I　discovered

after　some　trouble。　　It　lay　about　thirty　miles　away　to　the　east；　in　the

loop　of　a　beautiful　stream　that　is　now　known　as　the　Mooi　River。




Enclosed　in　this　loop　were　some　thirty　thousand　acres　of　very　rich；

low…lying　soil；　almost　treeless　and　clothed　with　luxuriant　grasses　where

game　was　extraordinarily　numerous。　　At　the　head　of　it　rose　a　flat…topped

hill；　from　the　crest　of　which；　oddly　enough；　flowed　a　plentiful　stream

of　water　fed　by　a　strong　spring。　　Half…way　down　this　hill；　facing　to　the

east；　and　irrigable　by　the　str