marie-第53章

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with　my　pretty　for　a　few　days；　and　only　ride　off　somewhere　else　when　I

was　tired　of　her；　especially　if　that　somewhere　else　chanced　to　be

Zululand；　where　they　are　so　fond　of　killing　people。〃



〃I　dare　say　you　would；　Hans；　and　so　would　I；　if　I　could；　you　be　sure。　

But；　you　see；　the　commandant　wants　me　to　interpret；　and　therefore　it　is

my　duty　to　go　with　him。〃



〃Duty；　what　is　duty；　baas？　　Love　I　understand。　　It　is　for　love　of　you

that　I　go　with　you；　also　for　fear　lest　you　should　cause　me　to　be　beaten

if　I　refused。　　Otherwise　I　would　certainly　stop　here　in　the　camp；　where

there　is　plenty　to　eat　and　little　work　to　do；　as；　were　I　you；　I　should

do　also　for　love　of　that　white　missie。　　But　dutypah！　that　is　a

fool…word；　which　makes　bones　of　a　man　before　his　time　and　leaves　his

girl　to　others。〃



〃Of　course；　you　do　not　understand；　Hans；　any　more　than　you　coloured

people　understand　what　gratitude　is。　　But　what　do　you　mean　about　this

trek　of　ours？　　Are　you　afraid？〃



He　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃A　little；　perhaps；　baas。　　At　least；　I

should　be　if　I　thought　about　the　morrow；　which　I　don't；　since　to…day　is

enough　for　me；　and　thinking　about　what　one　can't　know　makes　the　head

ache。　　Dingaan　is　not　a　nice　man；　baas；　we　saw　that；　didn't　we？　　He　is　a

hunter　who　knows　how　to　set　a　trap。　　Also　he　has　the　Baas　Pereira　up

there　to　help　him。　　So　perhaps　you　might　be　more　comfortable　here

kissing　Missie　Marie。　　Why　do　you　not　say　that　you　have　hurt　your　leg

and　cannot　run？　　It　would　not　be　much　trouble　to　walk　about　on　a　crutch

for　a　day　or　two；　and　when　the　commandant　was　well　gone；　your　leg　might

heal　and　you　could　throw　the　stick　away。〃



〃Get　thee　behind　me；　Satan；〃　I　muttered　to　myself；　and　was　about　to　give

Hans　a　piece　of　my　mind　when　I　recollected　that　the　poor　fellow　had　his

own　way　of　looking　at　things　and　could　not　be　blamed。　　Also；　as　he　said；

he　loved　me；　and　only　suggested　what　he　thought　would　tend　to　my　joy　and

safety。　　How　could　I　suppose　that　he　would　be　interested　in　the　success

of　a　diplomatic　mission　to　Dingaan；　or　think　anything　about　it　except

that　it　was　a　risky　business？　　So　I　only　said：



〃Hans；　if　you　are　afraid；　you　had　better　stop　behind。　　I　can　easily　find

another　after…rider。〃



〃Is　the　baas　angry　with　me　that　he　should　speak　so？〃　asked　the

Hottentot。　　〃Have　I　not　always　been　true　to　him；　and　if　I　should　be

killed；　what　does　it　matter？　　Have　I　not　said　that　I　do　not　think　about

to…morrow；　and　we　must　all　go　to　sleep　sometime？　　No；　unless　the　baas

beats　me　back；　I　shall　come　with　him。　　But；　baas〃this　in　a　wheedling

tone〃you　might　give　me　some　brandy　to　drink　your　health　in　to…night。　

It　is　very　good　to　get　drunk　when　one　has　to　be　sober；　and　perhaps　dead；

for　a　long　time　afterwards。　　It　would　be　nice　to　remember　when　one　is　a

spook；　or　an　angel　with　white　wings；　such　as　the　old　baas；　your　father；

used　to　tell　us　about　in　school　on　the　Sabbath。〃



At　this　point；　finding　Hans　hopeless；　I　got　up　and　walked　away；　leaving

him　to　finish　our　preparations。



That　evening　there　was　a　prayer…meeting　in　the　camp；　for　although　no

pastor　was　present；　one　of　the　Boer　elders　took　his　place　and　offered　up

supplications　which；　if　simple　and　even　absurd　in　their　wording；　at

least　were　hearty　enough。　　Amongst　other　requests；　I　remember　that　he

petitioned　for　the　safety　of　those　who　were　to　go　on　the　mission　to

Dingaan　and　of　those　who　were　to　remain　behind。　　Alas！　those　prayers

were　not　heard；　for　it　pleased　the　Power　to　Whom　they　were　addressed　to

decree　otherwise。



After　this　meeting；　in　which　I　took　an　earnest　share；　Retief　who　just

before　it　began　had　ridden　in　from　Doornkop；　whither　he　had　been　to

visit　his　wife；　held　a　kind　of　council；　whereat　the　names　of　those　who

had　volunteered　or　been　ordered　to　accompany　him；　were　finally　taken

down。　　At　this　council　there　was　a　good　deal　of　discussion；　since　many

of　the　Boers　did　not　think　the　expedition　wiseat　any　rate；　if　it　was

to　be　carried　out　on　so　large　a　scale。　　One　of　them；　I　forget　which；　an

old　man；　pointed　out　that　it　might　look　like　a　war　party；　and　that　it

would　be　wiser　if　only　five　or　six　went；　as　they　had　done　before；　since

then　there　could　be　no　mistake　as　to　the　peaceful　nature　of　their

intentions。



Retief　himself　combated　this　view；　and　at　last　turned　suddenly　to　me；

who　was　listening　near　by；　and　said：



〃Allan　Quatermain；　you　are　young；　but　you　have　a　good　judgment；　also；

you　are　one　of　the　very　few　who　know　Dingaan　and　can　speak　his　language。

　Tell　us　now；　what　do　you　think？〃



Thus　adjured；　I　answered；　perhaps　moved　thereto　more　than　I　thought　by

Hans's　talk；　that　I；　too；　considered　the　thing　dangerous；　and　that

someone　whose　life　was　less　valuable　than　the　commandant's　should　go　in

command。



〃Why　do　you　say　so；　nephew；〃　he　said　irritably；　〃seeing　that　all　white

men's　lives　are　of　equal　value；　and　I　can　smell　no　danger　in　the

business？〃



〃Because；　commandant；　I　do　smell　danger；　though　what　danger　I　cannot

say；　any　more　than　a　dog　or　a　buck　can　when　it　sniffs　something　in　the

air　and　barks　or　runs。　　Dingaan　is　a　tamed　tiger　just　now；　but　tigers

are　not　house　cats　that　one　can　play　with　them；　as　I　know；　who　have　felt

his　claws　and　just；　only　just；　come　out　from　between　them。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　nephew？〃　asked　Retief　in　his　direct　fashion。　　〃Do　you

believe　that　this　swartzel〃　（that　is；　black　creature）　〃means　to　kill

us？〃



〃I　believe　that　it　is　quite　possible；〃　I　answered。



〃Then；　nephew；　being　a　reasonable　man　as　you　are；　you　must　have　some

ground　for　your　belief。　　Come　now；　out　with　it。〃



〃I　have　none；　commandant；　except　that　one　who　can　set　the　lives　of　a

dozen　folk　against　a　man's　skill　in　shooting　at　birds　on　the　wing；　and

who　can　kill　people　to　be　a　bait　for　those　birds；　is　capable　of

anything。　　Moreover；　he　told　me　that　he　did　not　love　you　Boers；　and　why

should　he？〃



Now；　all　those　who　were　standing　about　seemed　to　be　impressed　with　this

argument。　　At　any　rate；　they　turned　towards　Retief；　anxiously　waiting

for　his　reply。



〃Doubtless；〃　answered　the　commandant；　who；　as　I　have　said；　was　irritable

that　night；　〃doubtless　those　English　missionaries　have　poisoned　the

king's　mind　against　us　Boers。　　Also；〃　he　added　suspiciously；　〃I　think

you　told　me；　Allan；　that　the　king　said　he　liked　you　and　meant　to　spare

you；　even　if　he　killed　your　companions；　just　because　you　also　are

English。　　Are　you　sure　that　you　do　not　know　more　than　you　choose　to　tell

us？　　Has　Dingaan　perhaps　confided　something　to　youjust　because　you　are

English？〃



Then　noting　that　these　words　moved　the　assembled　Boers；　in　whom　race

prejudice　and　recent　events　had　created　a　deep　distrust　of　any　born　of

British　blood；　I　grew　very　angry　and　answered：



〃Commandant；　Dingaan　confided　nothing　to　me；　except　that　some　Kaffir

witch…doctor；　who　is　named　Zikali；　a　man　I　never　saw；　had　told　him　that

he　must　not　kill　an　Englishman；　and　therefore　he　wished　to　spare　me；

although　one　of　your　people；　Hernan　Pereira；　had　whispered　to　him　that　I

ought　to　be　killed。　　Yet　I　say　outright　that　I　think　you　are　foolish　to

visit　this　king　with　so　large　a　force。　　Still；　I　am　ready　to　do　so

myself　with　one　or　two　others。　　Let　me　go；　then；　and　try　to　persuade　him

to　sign　this　treaty　as　to　the　land。　　If　I　am　killed　or　fail；　you　can

follow　after　me　and　do　better。〃



〃Allemachte！〃　exclaimed　Retief；　〃that　is　a　fair　offer。　　But　how　do　I

know；　nephew；　that　when　we　came　to　read　the　treaty　we　should　not　find

that　it　granted　all　the　land　to　you　English　and　not　to　us　Boers？　　No；

no；　don't　look　angry。　　That　was　not　a　right　thing　to　say；　for　you　are

honest　whatever　most　of　your　blood　may　be。　　Nephew　Allan；　you　who　are　a

brave　man；　are　afraid　of　this　journey。　　Now；　why　is　that；　I　wonder？　　Ah！

I　have　it。　　I　had　forgotten。　　You　are　to　be　married　to…morrow　morning　to

a　very　pretty　girl；　and　it　is　not　natural　that　you　should　wish　to　spend

the