marie-第50章

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

east；　and　irrigable　by　the　stream；　was　a　plateau　several　acres　in

extent；　which　furnished　about　the　best　site　for　a　house　that　I　know　in

all　South　Africa。　　Here　I　determined　we　would　build　our　dwelling…place

and　become　rich　by　the　breeding　up　of　great　herds　of　cattle。　　I　should

explain　that　this　ground；　which　once；　as　the　remains　of　their　old　kraals

showed；　had　belonged　to　a　Kaffir　tribe　killed　out　by　Chaka；　the　Zulu

king；　was　to　be　had　for　the　taking。



Indeed；　as　there　was　more　land　than　we　could　possibly　occupy；　I

persuaded　Henri　Marais；　the　Prinsloos　and　the　Meyers；　with　whom　I　had

trekked　from　Delagoa；　to　visit　it　with　me。　　When　they　had　seen　it　they

agreed　to　make　it　their　home　in　the　future；　but　meanwhile　elected　to

return　to　the　other　Boers　for　safety's　sake。　　So　with　the　help　of　some

Kaffirs；　of　whom　there　were　a　few　in　the　district；　remnants　of　those

tribes　which　Chaka　had　destroyed；　I　pegged　out　an　estate　of　about　twelve

thousand　acres　for　myself；　and；　selecting　a　site；　set　the　natives　to

work　to　build　a　rough　mud　house　upon　it　which　would　serve　as　a　temporary

dwelling。　　I　should　add　that　the　Prinsloos　and　the　Meyers　also　made

arrangements　for　the　building　of　similar　shelters　almost　alongside　of　my

own。　　This　done；　I　returned　to　Marie　and　the　trek…Boers。



On　the　morning　after　my　return　to　the　camp　Piet　Retief　appeared　there

with　his　five　or　six　companions。　　I　asked　him　how　he　had　got　on　with

Dingaan。



〃Well　enough；　nephew；〃　he　answered。　　〃At　first　the　king　was　somewhat

angry；　saying　that　we　Boers　had　stolen　six　hundred　head　of　his　cattle。　

But　I　showed　him　that　it　was　the　chief；　Sikonyela；　who　lives　yonder　on

the　Caledon　River；　who　had　dressed　up　his　people　in　white　men's　clothes

and　put　them　upon　horses；　and　afterwards　drove　the　cattle　through　one　of

our　camps　to　make　it　appear　that　we　were　the　thieves。　　Then　he　asked　me

what　was　my　object　in　visiting　him。　　I　answered　that　I　sought　a　grant　of

the　land　south　of　the　Tugela　to　the　sea。



〃'Bring　me　back　the　cattle　that　you　say　Sikonyela　has　stolen；'　he　said；

'and　we　will　talk　about　this　land。'　　To　this　I　agreed　and　soon　after

left　the　kraal。〃



〃What　did　you　do　with　Hernan　Pereira；　uncle？〃　I　asked。



〃This；　Allan。　　When　I　was　at　Umgungundhlovu　I　sought　out　the　truth　of

that　story　you　told　me　as　to　his　having　made　a　plot　to　get　you　killed　by

the　Zulus　on　the　ground　that　you　were　a　wizard。〃



〃And　what　did　you　discover；　uncle？〃



〃I　discovered　that　it　was　true；　for　Dingaan　told　me　so　himself。　　Then　I

sent　for　Pereira　and　ordered　him　out　of　my　camp；　telling　him　that　if　he

came　back　among　the　Boers　I　would　have　him　put　on　his　trial　for

attempted　murder。　　He　said　nothing；　but　went　away。〃



〃Whither　did　he　go？〃



〃To　a　place　that　Dingaan　gave　him　just　outside　his　kraal。　　The　king　said

that　he　would　be　useful　to　him；　as　he　could　mend　guns　and　teach　his

soldiers　to　shoot　with　them。　　So　there；　I　suppose；　he　remains；　unless　he

has　thought　it　wiser　to　make　off。　　At　any　rate；　I　am　sure　that　he　will

not　come　here　to　trouble　you　or　anyone。〃



〃No；　uncle；　but　he　may　trouble　you　_there_；〃　I　said　doubtfully。



〃What　do　you　mean；　Allan？〃



〃I　don't　quite　know；　but　he　is　black…hearted；　a　traitor　by　nature；　and

in　one　way　or　the　other　he　will　stir　up　sorrow。　　Do　you　think　that　he

will　love　you；　for　instance；　after　you　have　hunted　him　out　like　a

thief？〃



Retief　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　laughed　as　he　answered：



〃I　will　take　my　chance　of　that。　　What　is　the　　use　of　troubling　one's

head　about　such　a　snake　of　a　man？　　And　now；　Allan；　I　have　something　to

ask　you。　　Are　you　married　yet？〃



〃No；　uncle；　nor　can　be　for　another　five　weeks；　when　Marie　comes　of　age。　

Her　father　still　holds　that　his　oath　binds　him；　and　I　have　promised　that

I　will　not　take　her　till　then。〃



〃Does　he　indeed；　Allan？　　I　think　that　Henri　Marais　is　'kransick'　（that

is；　cracked）；　or　else　his　cursed　nephew；　Hernan；　has　fascinated　him；　as

a　snake　does　a　bird。　　Still；　I　suppose　that　he　has　the　law　on　his　side；

and；　as　I　am　commandant；　I　cannot　advise　anyone　to　break　the　law。　　Now

listen。　　It　is　no　use　your　staying　here　looking　at　the　ripe　peach　you

may　not　pluck；　for　that　only　makes　the　stomach　sick。　　Therefore　the　best

thing　that　you　can　do　is　to　come　with　me　to　get　those　cattle　from

Sikonyela；　for　I　shall　be　very　glad　of　your　company。　　Afterwards；　too；　I

want　you　to　return　with　me　to　Zululand　when　I　go　for　the　grant　of　all

this　country。〃



〃But　how　about　my　getting　married？〃　I　asked　in　dismay。



〃Oh！　I　dare　say　you　will　be　able　to　marry　before　we　start。　　Or　if　not；

it　must　be　when　we　return。　　Listen　now；　do　not　disappoint　me　in　this

matter；　Allan。　　None　of　us　can　speak　Zulu　except　you；　who　takes　to　these

savage　languages　like　a　duck　to　water；　and　I　want　you　to　be　my

interpreter　with　Dingaan。　　Also　the　king　specially　asked　that　you　should

come　with　me　when　I　brought　the　cattle；　as　he　seems　to　have　taken　a

great　fancy　to　you。　　He　said　that　you　would　render　his　words　honestly；

but　that　he　did　not　trust　the　lad　whom　he　has　there　to　translate　into

Dutch　and　English。　　So　you　see　it　will　help　me　very　much　in　this　big

business　if　you　come　with　me。〃



Still　I　hesitated；　for　some　fear　of　the　future　lay　heavy　on　my　heart；

warning　me　against　this　expedition。



〃Allemachte！〃　said　Retief　angrily；　〃if　you　will　not　grant　me　a　favour；

let　it　be。　　Or　is　it　that　you　want　reward？　　If　so；　all　I　can　promise　you

is　twenty　thousand　acres　of　the　best　land　in　the　country　when　we　get

it。〃



〃No；　Mynheer　Retief；〃　I　replied；　〃it　is　no　question　of　reward；　and　as

for　the　land；　I　have　already　pegged　out　my　farm　on　a　river　about　thirty

miles　to　the　east。　　It　is　that　I　do　not　like　to　leave　Marie　alone；

fearing　lest　her　father　should　play　some　trick　on　me　as　regards　her　and

Hernan　Pereira。〃



〃Oh；　if　that　is　all　you　are　afraid　of；　Allan；　I　can　soon　settle　matters；

for　I　will　give　orders　to　the　Predicant　Celliers　that　he　is　not　to　marry

Marie　Marais　to　anyone　except　yourself；　even　if　she　asks　him。　　Also　I

will　order　that　if　Hernan　Pereira　should　come　to　the　camp；　he　is　to　be

shut　up　until　I　return　to　try　him。　　Lastly；　as　commandant；　I　will　name

Henri　Marais　as　one　of　those　who　are　to　accompany　us；　so　that　he　will　be

able　to　plot　nothing　against　you。　　Now　are　you　satisfied？〃



I　said　〃Yes〃　as　cheerfully　as　I　could；　though　I　felt　anything　but

cheerful；　and　we　parted；　for；　of　course；　the　Commandant　Retief　had　much

to　occupy　him。



Then　I　went　and　told　Marie　what　I　had　promised。　　Somewhat　to　my　surprise

she　said　that　she　thought　I　had　acted　wisely。



〃If　you　stayed　here；〃　she　added；　〃perhaps　some　new　quarrel　would　arise

between　you　and　my　father　which　might　make　bitterness　afterwards。　　Also；

dear；　it　would　be　foolish　for　you　to　offend　the　Commandant　Retief；　who

will　be　the　great　man　in　this　country；　and　who　is　very　fond　of　you。　

After　all；　Allan；　we　shall　only　be　separated　for　a　little　while；　and

when　that　is　done　we　have　the　rest　of　our　lives　to　spend　together。　　As

for　me；　do　not　be　afraid；　for　you　know　I　will　never　marry　anyone　but

youno；　not　to　save　myself　from　death。〃



So　I　left　her　somewhat　comforted；　knowing　how　sound　was　her　judgment；

and　went　off　to　make　my　preparations　for　the　expedition　to　Sikonyela's

country。



All　this　conversation　with　Retief　I　have　set　down　in　full；　as　nearly　as

I　can　remember　it；　because　of　its　fateful　consequences。　　Ah！　if　I　could

have　foreseen；　if　only　I　could　have　foreseen！







CHAPTER　XVI









THE　COUNCIL











Two　days　later　we　started　to　recover　Dingaan's　cattle；　sixty　or　seventy

of　us；　all　well　armed　and　mounted。　　With　us　went　two　of　Dingaan's

captains　and　a　number　of　Zulus；　perhaps　a　hundred；　who　were　to　drive　the

cattle　if　we　recovered　them。　　As　I　could　speak　their　language　I　was　more

or　less　in　c