marie-第57章

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Retief；　by　way　of　reply；　touched　his　grey　hairs；　and　inquired　whether

Dingaan　thought　that　he　was　a　child　that　he；　Dingaan；　should　demand

horses　which　did　not　belong　to　him。　　He　added　that　these　horses　had　been

restored　to　the　Boers；　from　whom　Sikonyela　had　stolen　them。



When　Dingaan　had　expressed　himself　satisfied　with　this　answer；　Retief

opened　the　question　of　the　treaty。　　The　king　replied　however；　that　the

white　men　had　but　just　arrived；　and　he　wished　to　see　them　dance　after

their　own　fashion。　　As　for　the　business；　it　might　〃sit　still〃　till

another　day。



So　in　the　end　the　Boers　〃danced〃　for　his　amusement。　　That　is；　they

divided　into　two　parties；　and　charged　each　other　at　full　gallop；　firing

their　guns　into　the　air；　an　exhibition　which　seemed　to　fill　all　present

with　admiration　and　awe。　　When　they　paused；　the　king　wished　them　to　go

on　firing　〃a　hundred　shots　apiece；〃　but　the　commandant　declined；　saying

he　had　no　more　powder　to　waste。



〃What　do　you　want　powder　for　in　a　peaceful　country？〃　asked　Dingaan

suspiciously。



Retief　answered　through　me：



〃To　kill　food　for　ourselves；　or　to　protect　ourselves　if　any　evil…minded

men　should　attack　us。〃



〃Then　it　will　not　be　wanted　here；〃　said　Dingaan；　〃since　I　will　give　you

food；　and　as　I；　the　king；　am　your　friend；　no　man　in　Zululand　dare　be

your　enemy。〃



Retief　said　he　was　glad　to　hear　it；　and　asked　leave　to　retire　with　the

Boers　to　his　camp　outside　the　gate；　as　they　were　all　tired　with　riding。　

This　Dingaan　granted；　and　we　said　good…bye　and　went　away。　　Before　I

reached　the　gate；　however；　a　messenger；　I　remember　it　was　my　old　friend

Kambula；　overtook　me；　and　said　that　the　king　wished　to　speak　with　me

alone。　　I　answered　him　that　I　could　not　speak　with　the　king　alone

without　the　permission　of　the　commandant。　　Thereon　Kambula　said：



〃Come　with　me；　I　pray　you；　O　Macumazahn；　since　otherwise　you　will　be

taken　by　force。〃



Now；　I　told　Hans　to　gallop　on　to　Retief；　and　tell　him　of　my　predicament；

for　already　I　saw　that　at　some　sign　from　Kambula　I　was　being　surrounded

by　Zulus。　　He　did　so；　and　presently　Retief　came　back　himself　accompanied

only　by　one　man；　and　asked　me　what　was　the　matter　now。　　I　informed　him；

translating　Kambula's　words；　which　he　repeated　in　his　presence。



〃Does　the　fellow　mean　that　you　will　be　seized　if　you　do　not　go；　or　I

refuse　to　allow　you　to　do　so？〃



To　this　question　Kambula's　answer　was：



〃That　is　so；　Inkoos；　since　the　king　has　private　words　for　the　ear　of

Macumazahn。　　Therefore　we　must　obey　orders；　and　take　him　before　the

king；　living　or　dead。〃



〃Allemachte！〃　exclaimed　Retief；　〃this　is　serious；〃　and；　as　though　to

summon　them　to　my　help；　he　looked　behind　him　towards　the　main　body　of

the　Boers；　who　by　this　time　were　nearly　all　of　them　through　the　gate；

which　was　guarded　by　a　great　number　of　Zulus。　　〃Allan；〃　he　went　on；　〃if

you　are　not　afraid；　I　think　that　you　must　go。　　Perhaps　it　is　only　that

Dingaan　has　some　message　about　the　treaty　to　send　to　me　through　you。〃



〃I　am　not　afraid；〃　I　answered。　　〃What　is　the　use　of　being　afraid　in　a

place　like　this？〃



〃Ask　that　Kaffir　if　the　king　gives　you　safe　conduct；〃　said　Retief。



I　did　so；　and　Kambula　answered：



〃Yes；　for　this　visit。　　Who　am　I　that　I　can　speak　the　king's　unspoken

words？〃　＇which　meant；　guarantee　his　will　in　the　future。＇



〃A　dark　saying；〃　commented　Retief。　　〃But　go；　Allan；　since　you　must；　and

God　bring　you　back　safe　again。　　It　is　clear　that　Dingaan　did　not　ask

that　you　should　come　with　me　for　nothing。　　Now　I　wish　I　had　left　you　at

home　with　that　pretty　wife　of　yours。〃



So　we　parted；　I　going　to　the　king's　private　enclosure　on　foot　and

without　my　rifle；　since　I　was　not　allowed　to　appear　before　him　armed；

and　the　commandant　towards　the　gate　of　the　kraal　accompanied　by　Hans；

who　led　my　horse。　　Ten　minutes　later　I　stood　before　Dingaan；　who　greeted

me　kindly　enough；　and　began　to　ask　a　number　of　questions　about　the

Boers；　especially　if　they　were　not　people　who　had　rebelled　against　their

own　king　and　run　away　from　him。



I　answered；　Yes；　they　had　run　away；　as　they　wanted　more　room　to　live；

but　I　had　told　him　all　about　that　when　I　saw　him　before。　　He　said　he

knew　I　had；　but　he　wished　to　hear　〃whether　the　same　words　came　out　of

the　same　mouth；　or　different　words；〃　so　that　he　might　know　if　I　were　a

true　man　or　not。　　Then；　after　pausing　a　while；　he　looked　at　me　in　his

piercing　fashion　and　asked：



〃Have　you　brought　me　a　present　of　that　tall　white　girl　with　eyes　like

two　stars；　Macumazahn？　　I　mean　the　girl　whom　you　refused　to　me；　and　whom

I　could　not　take　because　you　had　won　your　bet；　which　gave　all　the　white

people　to　you；　she　for　whose　sake　you　make　brothers　of　these　Boers；　who

are　traitors　to　their　king？〃



〃No；　O　Dingaan；〃　I　answered；　〃there　are　no　women　among　us。　　Moreover；

this　maid　is　now　my　wife。〃



〃Your　wife！〃　he　exclaimed　angrily。　　〃By　the　Head　of　the　Black　One；　have

you　dared　to　make　a　wife　of　her　whom　I　desired？　　Now　say；　boy；　you

clever　Watcher　by　Night；　you　little　white　ant；　who　work　in　the　dark　and

only　peep　out　at　the　end　of　your　tunnel　when　it　is　finished；　you　wizard；

who　by　your　magic　can　snatch　his　prey　out　of　the　hand　of　the　greatest

king　in　all　the　worldfor　it　was　magic　that　killed　those　vultures　on

Hloma　Amabutu；　not　your　bullets；　Macumazahnsay；　why　should　I　not　make

an　end　of　you　at　once　for　this　trick？〃



I　folded　my　arms　and　looked　at　him。　　A　strange　contrast　we　must　have

made；　this　huge；　black　tyrant　with　the　royal　air；　for　to　do　him　justice

he　had　that；　at　whose　nod　hundreds　went　the　way　of　death；　and　I；　a　mere

insignificant　white　boy；　for　in　appearance；　at　any　rate；　I　was　nothing

more。



〃O　Dingaan；〃　I　said　coolly；　knowing　that　coolness　was　my　only　chance；　〃I

answer　you　in　the　words　of　the　Commandant　Retief；　the　great　chief。　　Do

you　take　me　for　a　child　that　I　should　give　up　my　own　wife　to　you　who

already　have　so　many？　　Moreover；　you　cannot　kill　me　because　I　have　the

word　of　your　captain；　Kambula；　that　I　am　safe　with　you。〃



This　reply　seemed　to　amuse　him。　　At　any　rate；　with　one　of　those　almost

infantile　changes　of　mood　which　are　common　to　savages　of　every　degree；

he　passed　from　wrath　to　laughter。



〃You　are　quick　as　a　lizard；〃　he　said。　　〃Why　should　I；　who　have　so　many

wives；　want　one　more；　who　would　certainly　hate　me？　　Just　because　she　is

white；　and　would　make　the　others；　who　are　black；　jealous；　I　suppose。　

Indeed；　they　would　poison　her；　or　pinch　her　to　death　in　a　month；　and

then　come　to　tell　me　she　had　died　of　fretting。　　Also；　you　are　right；　you

have　my　safe　conduct；　and　must　go　hence　unharmed　this　time。　　But　look

you；　little　lizard；　although　you　escape　me　between　the　stones；　I　will

pull　off　your　tail。　　I　have　said　that　I　want　to　pluck　this　tall　white

flower　of　yours；　and　I　will　pluck　her。　　I　know　where　she　dwells。　　Yes；

just　where　the　wagon　she　sleeps　in　stands　in　the　line；　for　my　spies　have

told　me；　and　I　will　give　orders　that　whoever　is　killed；　she　is　to　be

spared　and　brought　to　me　living。　　So　perhaps　you　will　meet　this　wife　of

yours　here；　Macumazahn。〃



Now；　at　these　ominous　words；　that　might　mean　so　much　or　so　little；　the

sweat　started　to　my　brow；　and　a　shiver　went　down　my　back。



〃Perhaps　I　shall　and　perhaps　I　shall　not；　O　king；〃　I　answered。　　〃The

world　is　as　full　of　chances　to…day　as　it　was　not　long　ago　when　I　shot　at

the　sacred　vultures　on　Hloma　Amabutu。　　Still；　I　think　that　my　wife　will

never　be　yours；　O　king。〃



〃Ow！〃　said　Dingaan；　〃this　little　white　ant　is　making　another　tunnel；

thinking　that　he　will　come　up　at　my　back。　　But　what　if　I　put　down　my

heel　and　crush　you；　little　white　ant？　　Do　you　know；〃　he　added

confidentially；　〃that　the　Boer　who　mends　my　guns　and　whom　here　we　call

'Two…faces；'　because　he　looks　towards　you　Whites　with　one　eye　and

towards　us　Blacks　with　the　other；　is　still　very　anxious　that　I　should

kill　you？　　Indeed；　when　I　told　him　that　my　spies　s